Believe in Miracles
by SiennaS
Summary: Lexi Hart had always dreamed of having one thing the doctors told her she couldn't have. Can she find it in herself to believe in miracles? Sequel to Keeping Faith (Formally Leap of Faith).
1. Chapter 1

Lexi Hart stared at the white stick. Her mind reeling to process and accept the news. It couldn't possibly be accurate. As much as she wanted to believe, it simply couldn't be right.

The moment she'd woke in the intensive care unit those three long years ago, she'd struggled to accept her fate. From that point forward, she'd hadn't taken precautions. Never thought she needed to. In a strange way, having the possibility removed had allowed for a freedom that others didn't necessarily have. Maybe it was her way of rebelling against the pain, but the way she saw it, after ripping her heart out, the world owed her that much.

Now there appeared to be a slim chance that fate had decided to reveal a secret it had been hiding for three long years. She couldn't quite bring herself to even allow an inkling of hope to exist. Not until she was sure of the truth. Even then, could she risk allowing joy to exist? The last time she had, everything she'd wanted had been cruelly ripped away.

Tears welled and she sucked in a ragged breath, as memories came flooding back and with them, the incredible almost blinding pain. It wasn't the loss that hurt the most, though she had to admit, it still stung. No, it was the knowledge that never was a very, very long time to have her hopes dashed. She'd somehow managed to navigate that pain the first time. How could she possibly survive if it happened again? Her fingers curled around the small white stick as she closed her eyes. It wouldn't happen again, at least not the part where Roman was concerned.

If there was one thing in her life she was completely sure of, it was Roman's love. As big and strong, tough and surly as he appeared to those around him, she only saw the teddy bear hidden within. It was his gentle touch. A soft hand to the small of her back. His heated stare from across the room. The way she could feel him watching her even when she couldn't see him. From the moment they'd first touched, she'd felt the spark between them. That spark had slowly smoldered then burst into a flame fueled daily by their passion.

In those quiet moments, when they were naked and alone, he all but worshiped her. Sometimes his tenderness brought tears to her eyes. Then there was the Dom in him. The insufferable, unyielding, demanding, over protective oaf that commanded her body and heart in a way no one ever had before. There were times when his being a Dom grated on her nerves. Yet she only had to be reminded that he acted that way because he cared and she'd turn into a submissive puddle of need, ready to fulfill his every desire.

When he made love to her, whether it was in a moment of animalistic lust, or a slow and satisfying slide of bodies, he gave her all of himself. Oh sure, he said the words and she knew he meant them, but it was his actions that really spoke volumes of his love for her.

No, he would would never cheat and he certainly wouldn't leave. Her brow knit as she frowned. But how would he react to the news?

_Damn it!_

She nearly growled at herself for allowing such a positive thought to surface. She opened her eyes and tossed the test onto the counter. There wasn't any news to share because the test was wrong. It had to be wrong.

_What if the doctors had been wrong?_

The question popped into her mind and jumped up and down, wildly waving its arms. Dare she consider the possibility? Back then, she'd been young, naive, and heartbroken beyond belief. She'd accepted the diagnosis at face value and never once considered the alternative.

_So what if?_

_What if what?_ She chastised herself for once again entertaining the thought, as she moved to start the taps, then stripped and stepped into the shower. So what if she'd been moody over the past few weeks? Her mood swings had everything to do with the lousy script she'd been given. For months, creative had been hinting at the inevitable demise of The Shield. Every time the guys cut a promo where they had to show their tensions rising, her stomach had taken a nose dive. Yes, she knew it was scripted and they'd all remain friends long after the end of The Shield, but seeing something she loved slowly begin to implode had done funny things to her. It left her feeling ill and out of sorts. Especially lately with the rising tension between Dean and Roman.

While they were the best of friends off camera and she knew they'd remain that way, knowing that at some point in the future they'd face off in the ring made her want to vomit. She'd heard about their nearly historic battles down in NXT and couldn't stomach the idea of seeing those battles revisited. She thought about Hunter and Shawn. They were best friends. Had been for years, and some of their in-ring battles were the bloodiest she'd ever seen. She really didn't want that for Roman, Seth, and Dean.

Even as she stood beneath the spray, Lexi pressed a hand to her stomach and pushed down the sudden need to purge. She'd been doing too much of that lately and Roman was beginning to grow concerned.

What she needed to do was get a grip. She'd given her life to the WWE and knew how the system worked. Friendships were one thing, but nothing got in the way of a good storyline. She should have known that as proof of her own kidnapping storyline and the lengths to which management went to keep it going. As much as she didn't like it, pitting Roman and Seth and in turn, her and Amber all against Dean would make for good television.

She certainly wasn't opposed to a face turn. Hell, her and Amber both worked better as faces anyway, but knowing she'd have to turn her back on Dean, even if it was only for the cameras, didn't set well.

Not wanting to dawdle and further her upset stomach by staying in the heat too long, she quickly finished her shower, turned off the taps, grabbed a towel and stepped onto the bathmat.

Her attention drifted back to the test. It sat on the corner of counter, silently mocking her. A sudden flood of anger ripped through her. How could life be so cruel as to tease her with the possibility of something she knew she couldn't have? She grabbed the little white stick, raised a hand and started to toss it into the trash. Then stopped.

_What if the doctors were wrong?_ Refusing to be dismissed so easily, the question swirled in her head a second time. She lowered her hand and stared at the two blue lines. If she threw it away the question would remain. It already had. She had thrown the first test away a month ago, yet the suspicion continued to live in the recesses of her mind and had grown more probable during that time. No. Throwing it away wouldn't assuage the question.

Of course, if she asked the question, Dr. Amman would give her the answer and his would be the final word on the matter. What if she didn't like what he had to say? At least this way the possibility lived.

But what good did it do her to live with the possibility, if indeed the doctors were right and the reality she'd always wanted could never be? Especially, when she insisted in telling herself that reality couldn't exist anyway?

Conflicted and frustrated, she dressed, then tucked the test into her bag, grabbed her hotel key off the table and headed for the arena. As much as it might hurt her, it was time to face the truth.


	2. Chapter 2

I tried to keep this as accurate as possible based on my experience with 4 pregnancies and 2 live births. I also did my best to research the little details, so hopefully I got it right. Sienna

* * *

Chapter 2

Lexi pushed open the infirmary door, only to have a sudden attack of nerves causing her to turn on her heel. Maybe she wasn't quite as ready for this as she thought. She managed one step when Dr. Amman's voice stopped her cold.

"Lexi?"

Digging deep for strength, she turned back to face him. There was no backing out now. He'd want to know why she was here and damn it, even if she didn't want the truth, she needed it. He was grinning as she turned back and let the heavy door close behind her. "To what do I owe this visit?"

With shaky hands, she reached into her bag, pulled out the little white stick and tossed it to him to him.

His brow knit. "It's a pregnancy test."

"I know that," she nearly spat, then tried to force a deep breath. It wasn't his fault she was was having a mental break down. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you, but I'm a little freaked out right now."

"Why?"

"Because it's showing a positive result." She let her bag tumble off her shoulder to the floor as a sick slide of panic cut through her system and she began to pace. "How can that be?" Her heart damn near stuck in her throat as she asked the question, causing her to choke. "After the accident I was told I couldn't get pregnant. I cried for weeks. I went through therapy." She tossed her hands in the air while the words tumbled from her now, damn near stumbling over each other on the way out. "I've spent years coming to terms with my deficiencies and now this?" She pointed her finger at the test. "If I can't get pregnant then how can that-" She pointed to the test. "Be positive?"

The smile he wore faded as he held up his hands and skirted the table toward her. "Okay. Okay. Why don't you sit down here and take a few deep breaths?" He guided her to the table and helped her sit. "There has to be a reasonable explanation. We'll get to the bottom of whatever is going on, okay?"

She nodded even as she fought to keep the tears at bay. "I'm sorry," she murmured even as sourness started in her stomach and her mind continued to churn. "I'm not usually like this."

"I know," he replied as he eased her back onto the table.

"I'm just so conflicted right now." She raised a hand to her head and struggled to hold back the tears. "I'm angry that the damn test is positive, yet I desperately want it to be true. But I know I can't be true and hearing you tell me its a false positive is going to be so painful." The last thing she wanted was to get her hopes, up only to have her dreams crushed yet again when the test was wrong.

What if it wasn't wrong? That thought came racing back yet again and demanded consideration. It was almost more terrifying than facing disappointment. Not because she was anything but ready for a baby, but because she wanted it so badly. Almost from day one, she caught herself dreaming about being able to have children with Roman. She'd only allowed the dreams because she knew those fantasies was all she'd ever have when it came to having babies with him, but now… She silently shook her head in an attempt to dislodge the confusing thoughts.

"Medicine isn't an exact science, Lexi. There's always a chance the doctors were wrong."

She huffed out a breath. "Believe me I've thought about that, but why wouldn't I have gotten pregnant before now? I mean it's been nearly a year since Roman and I got together. In all that time we've never used protection and we've been extremely active….if you know what I mean."

His smile returned now. "Yeah, I know what you mean. When was your last period?"

"Two months ago."

He stopped, his eyes widening. "Two months?"

She shrugged. "I've had a little spotting, but yeah, about two months ago."

His brow knit. "When did you take this test?" he asked as he moved to a cabinet.

"This morning, but it can't possibly be right," she said as she rested the back of her hand on her forehead. Already she was starting to feel a little better. Talking to Doc seemed to help settle her nerves. "I mean the one I took last month said the same thing, but they're wrong. They have to be wrong."

Doctor Amann, stopped a second time. His eyes were wide when he turned back to her. "You took one of these tests last month?"

She nodded. "I've been having some strange symptoms off and on for about six weeks or so and when I misses my period last month," she sighed. "I mean even though I knew it wasn't possible, it was the only thing that made sense-"

"So you took a test," he finished her sentence. "And it was positive?"

"Yeah." She pressed a hand against a sudden tightness in her chest. Why had she taken the stupid test to being with? All it had accomplished was to make her crazy.

He closed the cabinet door he just opened, turned to his rolling cart and pulled out a needle and a tube.

"What are you doing?"

"First, I'm taking some blood, so I can run some tests. Then you're going to strip so I can do a pelvic exam."

"Is that really necessary?" she asked as she held her arm still for him. She couldn't think of a single woman she knew who would want to subject themselves to an unnecessary pelvic exam. "I mean what can you learn from a pelvic exam?"

He arched a brow. "More than you think."

When he finished drawing blood, he stepped away and turned to the counter. Lexi's legs trembled as she slid off the table and stripped, then slipped back onto the table and covered with a blanket. How was it she could face crowds of thousands on a daily basis, get banged up in the ring and risk permanent injury constantly, but this...this entire situation had her as frightened as a little girl?

She eased down into the correct position, then closed her eyes and tried to relax as Dr. Amman began the exam. It only took a minute for him to move the chair back and pull off his gloves. "Where's Roman right now?"

Surprised by the question, she opened her eyes and frowned. "Why?"

"You have a definite mucus plug, Lexi." He grinned. "I think he'll want to be here for what I'm gonna do next."

She blinked in confusion. "Mucus plug? Why? What are you going to do next?"

He simply smiled in response. "Call Roman."

* * *

Roman's mind raced as he jogged down the hallway toward the infirmary. He and the boys had just finished a strategy session with creative when Lexi called. When he'd left her at the hotel earlier that morning, she hadn't been feeling well...again. He'd threatened to take her to Doctor Amman himself if she wouldn't go on her own. Knowing he'd make good on his threat she'd promised him she would go.

He was glad she had, but now he was concerned for an entirely different reason. Despite her assurances that nothing was wrong, he could hear the fear in her voice and it sent his heart beating into triple speed. Lexi wasn't afraid of anything. Lexi didn't get upset and cry like a normal woman. No, she got angry and hurt people. That's part of what made her such a great wrestler.

"If she said nothing is wrong, then it's probably nothing, right?" Dean asked as he rushed to keep up.

"Yeah, bro. I'm sure whatever it is, its not nearly as big as she's making it sound," Seth added.

Roman wanted to believe them. Hell, he desperately needed to believe them, but he could still remember how she'd had Dr. Amman set her arm without pain meds. She'd been in agony, yet she'd barely uttered a whimper. The fact was, his little spitfire didn't upset easily. Whatever was going on, he had no doubt it was something big if it had her near hysterics.

They reached the closed door and stopped. "You want us to come in with you?" Seth asked.

Roman shook his head. "No. She wanted me, not us." He held up a hand. "Just wait here. I'll let you know what's going on as soon as I know something."

Taking a deep breath, he pushed opened the door and stepped inside. A frown immediately claimed his features as he stared at Lexi lying on the exam table. She was pale and her face a mask of concern. "Sweetheart, what's going on?"

He crossed to her and she reached for his hand. "Why are you lying down and why are you partially naked?"

Doctor Amman set a small computer looking device on top of the rolling cart. "I asked her to call you. I thought you'd want to be here for this."

"For what?" Roman looked from Lexi to Doctor Amman and back. Why did she look so upset, yet Doctor Amman appeared calm, almost happy? "What's that thing?" He pointed to the computer.

"This is a portable ultrasound machine." He snapped his fingers. "Now I just have to find the transvaginal wand. You know," he began, almost conversationally as he opened a drawer on the cart, closed it, then opened another. "When we purchased this machine it came with several different attachments. Ah...there it is." Roman's eyes widened as Doc pulled out a long wicked looking wand shaped device. Doctor Amman smiled. "You know, I've never used this attachment before. I hope it works."

"Works for what?" Roman asked as he felt his patience thinning.

Doctor Amman plugged the attachment into the device, then covered the end with a glove like sleeve. He paused, a grin claimed his face. "To see your baby."

Roman could feel the blood drain from his face. With his free hand, he absently reached out for the spare chair. The single word echoed in his ears as he turned his attention to Lexi. Tears welled in those fear filled eyes and despite the shock, he finally understood what was going on. "B-baby?" he murmured as his attention cut from the screen to Lexi's terrified face. That's why she'd been nauseous in the mornings. That's why she'd been so moody. That's why her breasts had become so tender he could barely touch her without her flinching.

Doctor Amman moved between Lexi's legs. "Lexi, I'm going to insert the wand. It's the best way for us to get a good image of what's going on inside. You're going to feel some pressure when the sensor tip presses against your cervix. It's normal, okay?"

She swallowed hard and nodded as her fingers tightened against Romans. Roman trained his eyes on the screen. It took a few minutes before he spotted the small blinking dot. Doctor Amman's smile widened. With his free hand he pointed to the blip on the screen. "See this little peanut shaped blinking dot?"

"Yeah?" Roman nodded.

"That's your baby and that blip is the heartbeat. You will, of course get a more accurate assessment once Lexi goes to see her OBGYN, but for our purposes right now, I'd say that judging by what I see here and what Lexi's told me, I'd estimate your little one is somewhere between eight and ten weeks in development."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_A baby! _Roman's mind raced to process this new information even as he watched the blinking dot on the screen. "How is this possible?" he murmured in awe.

Doctor Amman chuckled. "I think you know how it's possible, Roman."

An automatic grin slid across his face. "Yes, I know how it's possible, but how is it possible for Lexi?"

Doctor Amman sighed. "Like I told Lexi, medicine isn't an exact science. Sometimes doctors can be wrong."

Roman couldn't express how happy that in this instance they were wrong.

A soft sob pulled his attention away from the screen. He turned to find tears streaming down Lexi's cheeks. His heart sank. Was she upset to know she was pregnant? "Sweetheart, why are you crying?"

She shook her head as she lifted her free and to cover her mouth. Her gaze never leaving the computer screen.

His brow knit and he looked back at the doctor. "What's wrong with her?"

Before Doctor Amman could answer she squeezed Roman's hand and he turned back to her. "Nothing's wrong," she whispered.

"Then, baby why are you crying?"

"I'm happy," she replied. "And terrified."

"Why?"

"Because." Another tear trickled down her cheek. "I'm afraid that I'm going to wake up and discover this was all just a dream and my heart will be broken all over again."

Roman placed a hand over her still flat abdomen. "Sweetheart, can you feel me touching you?"

She nodded.

"You feel the warmth of my hand?"

She nodded again.

"Then you know this isn't a dream. What's happening right now is very, very real." He leaned forward until his face was mere inches from hers and smiled. "You're carrying our baby and you've made me the happiest man in the world."

* * *

Roman knew he was grinning like an idiot when he opened the door and stepped into the hall. He couldn't help it, Didn't want to help it. The love of his life was pregnant with his child. Could his world get any better?

Seth spun on his heel to face him. "What's going on? Is Lexi okay?"

"She's great," Roman replied.

"You were in there an awful long time for her to be great." Dean narrowed his gaze. "Why are you grinning like a freaking moron?"

"Lexi's pregnant." Roman replied and enjoyed watching the shock that crossed his best friends faces.

"Pregnant?" Seth asked as he broke out into a huge grin. "Like she's going to have a little Roman?"

"Or maybe a little Lexi," Roman replied as he consider the idea of having a daughter. Having a boy would be fun because he could teach the kid football and wrestling, but having a daughter… He tried to picture what his sweet little pixy would look like. Dark pigtails and a pudgy little grinning face appeared in his mind. As the image took hold, the little girl reached up to him and his heart swelled. Yeah, having a little girl would be the bomb.

"Wait." Dean held up a hand, pulling Roman from his thoughts. "I thought she was infertile."

"So did she," Roman confirmed. "That's what the doctor's told her after her accident, but it's obviously not true. That's part of what was taking so long. It took Doctor Amman some time to convince her that what she was seeing was real." He pulled his phone out of his pocket, scrolled through his videos and hit the button for the one Doctor Amman had graciously downloaded for him. He handed the phone to Seth. "See the little blinking peanut?"

Dean peered over Seth's shoulder and they both stared at the screen. "Yeah?" Seth replied and his eyes widened. "Wait...Is that that baby?"

Roman nodded. "That blinking is it's heartbeat." His smile returned in full force. "Doctor Amman said she's a solid two months pregnant, which means in seven months I'm gonna be a father."

Seth and Dean both let out a cheer, then stopped as the door behind Roman opened and Lexi appeared. He turned to her and slid an arm around her waist. She still looked pale and by her expression she was still in shock.

* * *

Mentally exhausted and still frightened beyond rational thought, she leaned against Roman and soaked up his strength. She hadn't been sure how he was going to react to the news, but seeing the smile on his face and the love in his eyes put her heart at ease. He wanted this baby just as much as she did and that knowledge helped to settle at least some of her fears. Her attention drifted from Roman to the boys. Seth was the first one to step forward and wrap her in a hug. "Congrats on the new addition."

"Thank you," she whispered and lifted a shaky hand to her hair. "I still can't quite believe it."

"Hey, little mama," Dean pulled her in for a hug and pressed a kiss to her temple. "I'm so happy for you both."

She turned to him for a full on hug. "Me too," she replied and realized she actually meant it. Despite the near crippling fear she was fighting against, she was giddy with excitement.

Apparently feeling just a little possessive, Roman pulled her back to him. "You hungry?"

She shook her head. "No."

Roman frowned. By the look on his face she'd knew he was thinking about how little she'd been eating recently. Knowing she was now eating for two meant she needed to take better care of herself. "I know you've been dealing with some nausea, but you need to try and eat something. You need to keep your strength up."

She nodded. "I will. I promise. Just not yet. Actually," she said as they began to walk. "I need to call my folks." She grinned as reality slowly began to set in. "Dad is going to positively flip when he hears." _The schedule! My Match tonight!_ She stopped. "Shit!"

"What?" the three of them said in unison.

"I'm scheduled for a match tonight."

"Like hell you are," Roman practically roared, even as Dean and Seth both voiced their protests.

Their objections finally brought Lexi completely out of her stupor and she arched a challenging brow at Roman. "Well duh?" she replied. "What I meant was that I need to find Hunter or Stephanie and tell them I can't wrestle so they can find a replacement." She folded her arms. "I've only wanted this baby damn near from the first day we met. Do you really think I'd intentionally do anything to jeopardize this pregnancy?"

She watched as an expression of near embarrassment flashed across his face before he pulled her to him and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "Of course not," he said as he stroked a hand along her cheek. "I'm sorry. I'm just feeling a little protective right now."

Inside she was grinning at his admission, but she sighed instead of showing her smile. The man could be such a pain in the ass sometimes and no way would she willingly admit that she liked that protected and loved feeling she got when he grew possessive. "You're not gonna go all Dom on me now are you?"

"Probably," he grinned. "I hope you don't mind."

"Roman," she grumbled, more because she couldn't let him think he was in control without some sort of fight, than having any real objection. Deep down, it made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Knowing the next few months were probably going to be some of the most stressful of her life she'd wear his love and protection like a blanket, soak up every bit of strength he was willing to give her and enjoy every single moment of it along the way.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

An hour later Lexi and Roman walked out of Hunter and Stephanie's office. Lexi slid her hand into his. "That went much better than expected."

Roman grinned. "I haven't known Stephanie all that long, but I can't remember ever seeing her so excited."

"Yeah, well I've known her for what seems like forever and I can tell you it's been a long time since she reacted like that to anything." Lexi smiled at the memory of the always calm and sophisticated Stephanie leaping out of her chair on a squeal of delight, then wrapping Lexi in a hug. The last time she could recall Stephanie so excited was when Stephanie had been pregnant with her and Hunter's third child. That thought brought a quick frown to Lexi's lips and Roman immediately pulled her to a stop. His brown knit. "What?"

Lexi shook her head. "I just remembered something. It's no big deal."

"It is if it caused you to frown like that. Now what?"

Lexi sighed as she looked up at Roman. The man didn't miss a thing. "I was just thinking about the last time I'd seen Stephanie that excited was when she was pregnant with Vaughn and I had told her I was pregnant. She'd squealed just like that, then started talking about how awesome it was going to be that our babies would grow up together."

A new wave of emotion washed through Lexi and she closed her eyes as she struggled to steady herself. "Our due dates were around the same time." She shook her head, but kept her eyes closed. "I didn't deal well when she gave birth to Vaughn. I mean I was definitely happy for her, but…" she let her sentence trail off.

"Open your eyes, baby," Roman whispered.

Lexi opened her eyes and felt Roman use his thumb to wipe away her tears. When had she started crying? "It's not going to happen again," he whispered.

A sudden lump formed in her throat and she could only nod in response as worry slowly consumed her yet again. Despite her best efforts to stifle them, the tears came faster and she sucked in a shuddering breath.

"Hey." He gathered her against him, held her. "It's okay. If you need to cry then go ahead and let it out, baby. I got you." She felt his hand stroking through her hair and knowing he did have her, let the fear and pain come.

* * *

Twenty minutes later she sat inside what would serve as The Shield's locker room for the night and struggled with how she was going to break the news to her father. He'd been reserved the last time, telling her he hoped she knew was she was doing. Then after the accident he'd all but wrapped her in a protective bubble to keep everyone out.

This time would be different, she told herself as her fingers hovered over the keys on her phone. He liked Roman, a lot. Hell, he'd given Roman his blessing even before Roman had proposed to her. This time her father would be excited to hear the news.

The door flinging open caused Lexi to jump and she looked up in time to see Nattie and Amber come bustling in. "Lexi, what the hell is going on?" Natalya asked as she stopped in front of where Lexi sat. "We just heard from Stephanie that instead of me and Jojo wrestling you and Amber tonight we're taking on Aksana and Alicia."

"Why did Stephanie cut us?" Amber asked.

"I can't wrestle," Lexi replied, then closed the text message without sending, opened her video app and pulled up the video Doctor Amman provided.

"Why" Nattie asked. "Did you get injured or something?"

"No. Not exactly." Lexi turned the screen to face the women. "This is why I can't wrestle."

She watched as confusion struck first, then eventually a dawning awareness that had Natalya shouting with delight. "Oh my God! Lexi!" She clapped her hands together "Is that what I think it is?"

Lexi grinned as Nattie took the phone from her to get a better look.

Amber's eyes widened and she looked from the screen to Lexi and back. "You're pregnant?"

"I am," Lexi replied as she stood and was immediately enveloped in hugs from the girls.

"Oh this is so awesome," Amber said, "Does Roman know?"

"Yes," Lexi actually giggled. "Roman knows and is thrilled. So does Seth and Dean."

Amber's grin immediately turned into a pout. "Oh poo. I was hoping to tell them. I just love sharing good news."

"You can tell everyone else if you want," Lexi offered. "Most of the roster doesn't know yet."

Amber's grin returned. "I'll remedy that straight away." She gave Lexi a hug, turned to go, then stopped. "That is if you're sure you're okay with me blabbing," she clarified.

Lexi's grin widened and she waved a hand at Amber. "Go. Have fun spreading the news. I don't mind."

Amber returned Lexi's smile, then disappeared out the door.

Nattie laughed. "Ten to one says the entire roster knows within twenty minutes."

Lexi returned to her seat on the bench. "That's okay. Makes it easier on me, since I won't have to repeat myself a couple dozen times."

Nattie took the seat next to her and toyed with Lexi's phone. "You are happy about this, right?"

Lexi turned her head and cocked a brow at her cousin. "I love Roman so much sometimes it frightens me. You have no idea how excited I am to know I'm carrying his child."

Nattie narrowed her gaze. "You don't look excited. Actually, you look scared shitless."

Lexi sighed. "I am. After the accident, doctor's said I had a ton of scar tissue in my uterus and that I wouldn't be able to get pregnant. Just because I am now, doesn't mean that were completely wrong."

"And you're afraid something bad will happen," Nattie added.

Lexi nodded. "Doctor Amman said my pregnancy looks strong right now. I'm already almost through my first trimester, but I'm not going to feel completely comfortable about all this until I see an OBGYN and get a more indepth assessment.

"When are you going to do that?"

Lexi shrugged. "Roman's sister is a nurse for an OBGYN that works with high risk pregnancies. He's talked to her and she'd going to see when she can get me an appointment. In the meantime, I'm just trying not to dwell on the past and-" she pointed to the phone. "Figure out a way to tell my dad."

"Uncle Bret doesn't know yet?" Nattie grinned like a cheshire cat.

Lexi narrowed her eyes. "I know that mischievous look. Just what are you thinking."

"Just this," Nattie said as she brought up the video. She hit the forward icon, then typed Are you ready to trade in the nickname Hitman for Grandpa? Nattie hit send before Lexi could stop her.

Her grin widened "Let's see how long it takes for Uncle Bret to call."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It took less than five minutes for Lexi's phone to ring.

"Hey Dad," Lexi answered the phone as she looked up at Nattie, who shot her an evil grin.

"So this isn't some sick joke, right? I'm really gonna be a grandpa?" Bret's voice washed over her, soothing.

"No, Dad." She shook her head, despite knowing he couldn't see her. "It's not a joke. I'm really pregnant."

"So the doctor's were wrong?"

"Apparently," she sighed. "Doesn't mean I'm not scared out of my mind though."

"After what happened before, I can completely understand why you would be," he replied. "Have you told Roman?"

"Yes and he's thrilled."

"Good." She could almost picture the smile on her father's face. "So when are you going to marry that boy and make it all official?"

She grinned at his question. She'd known it was coming, especially since it had been over six months since Roman proposed and they had still yet to set a date. "Come on, Dad. You know that with our touring schedule how difficult it is to do anything big."

"Not an excuse, baby girl. Your cousin is planning a wedding despite the heavy schedule. There's no reason you can't too."

She shot Nattie a dirty look that had her cousin lifting a questioning shoulder. "Have you been talking to Roman behind my back again?" she asked her father.

"Why?" Bret asked.

"Because he's been hounding me for the last month about picking a date," she replied.

"I knew I liked that boy," Bret chuckled.

Their conversation continued for another ten minutes, during which she let him lecture her about getting enough rest and he remind her that she needed to think positive thoughts. After promising to do everything he said, including listening to Roman and finally setting a wedding date, she expressed her love to him and hung up. Strangely enough, she felt calmer after talking with her dad.

* * *

The rest of the day her phone seemed to blow up with calls. Her mother was next, then her sister and brother. Uncle Jim called next, followed by most of the rest of the Hart family. Roman's sister called to confirm Lexi's appointment for Wednesday afternoon and apparently his family had damn near killed the battery on Roman's phone will their calls and text messages. It appeared at that everyone was happy for them. Now she just needed to relax and wait for her appointment Wednesday afternoon.

She was still thinking about that appointment, turning it over in her mind as she watched her boys head for the ring. So much was about to change in her life. While she obviously couldn't wrestle until well after the baby's birth, would she be allowed to continue traveling with the rest of the roster? What if the doctor considered her high risk and demanded she stay home? Could she handle being away from Roman for days at a time?

Stephanie and Hunter already assured her that as long as her doctor was okay with her traveling, they'd find a way to keep her involved. She wasn't exactly sure how she felt about that. Who knew what they would have creative come up with for her? She was still considering that idea when long, fire-engine red hair appeared in her line of sight.

"Eva," Lexi murmured as she kept her eyes trained on the screen. Ever since the new diva arrived on scene she'd struck Lexi wrong. It wasn't just her taking up with the Bella's, especially since she, Amber and Zoe had all but made up with the twins. No, Lexi didn't appreciate the way Eva seemed to trying to make a name for herself. There was the right way and the wrong way to climb the ranks and Eva seemed hell bent on doing everything the wrong way.

"So I hear you're preggers." Eva began.

"I am," Lexi did her best to stamp down her irritation.

"I guess congratulation is in order, huh?"

Lexi smirked at the insincerity in the Diva's tone. "Only if it feels right," she replied. "I wouldn't want you to do anything you didn't didn't feel was warranted."

"I'm glad you feel that way." Eva smiled. "Because I actually think it's kinda sad and pathetic if you ask me."

Now Lexi did turn away from the screen. "Really? My being pregnant is sad and pathetic?"

"No," Eva clarified. "You're trapping Roman, by getting pregnant is sad and pathetic."

_Trapping?_ In the matter of a heartbeat Lexi could feel her blood pressure rise. "Excuse me?" She couldn't have possibly heard Eva correctly.

"You heard, me," the other Diva's smiled wickedly. "I mean-:" she held up a hand, and gestured. "From what I hear you already tried this trick on Edge years ago and it didn't work. Why in the world would you think it would work this time?"

_Trick? _Lexi's jaw began to hurt from grinding her teeth as she stared at Eva. "Let me tell you something." Without thinking, she gave Eva a shove, then another and another, until Lexi pushed her against a wall. "The only thing sad and pathetic around here is you and your dismal attempts to get noticed by management. From what I hear you're doing a pretty good job of pissing the wrong people off. I've been here a lot longer than you and have lots of pull, so do yourself a favor and stay out of my business and far away from me."

Eva's eyes flared with defiance. "I have no intention of getting anywhere near you. It's that giant hunk of Samoan that I'm interested in."

Lexi's fingers curled into Eva's shirt as flashbacks of Lita with Edge raced through her mind. Deep down she knew Roman would never cheat, but that didn't stop her from wanting to protect what was hers. "You stay away from Roman."

"Why?" Eva challenged. "So you can trap him into a marriage of convenience?" She shook her head. "I don't think so."

"What's going on here?" Lexi's friend and fellow Diva Tamina Snuka's voice echoed off the walls. Lexi didn't move. "Lexi. Let go." Tamina's fingers curled around Lexi's prying her off the new Diva.

Free from Lexi's grip, Eva took a step back and out of Lexi's grasp. "Face it, Lexi. You don't have what it takes to keep a man like Roman happy."

"Oh and I suppose you do," Lexis snapped even as Tamina held her by the arm.

"You bet I do." Eva snaked a hand down her body as if she were trying to show off her assets.. "While you're away getting fat and ugly, I'll be here to take care of your man's needs." She narrowed her gaze. "Be prepared to relive history, Lexi, because you're about to see a repeat performance."

Even as Eva turned on her heel and flounced away, Lexi lunged at her, only to feel Tamnia clamp onto both her arms. "Lexi, stop. She's not worth it."

"Somebody needs to kick her ass and remind her of her place here," Lexi snarled.

"You're right," Tamina agree. "But that somebody isn't going to be you. Not now. Not in your condition."

Tamina's sudden reminder of the baby was like a pinprick to Lexi's temper and she deflated as her anger dissipated. "Yeah," Lexi agreed and turned to face her friend. "You're right. She's not worth risking my baby over. It's just…" She raked a shaky hand through her hair.

"Yeah," Tamnia nodded as she wrapped an arm around Lexi's shoulder and turned her the other direction. "I know."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

_Dear God she had to pee!_

Lexi tried not to squirm as the man she now knew as Doctor Petrucci moved the ultrasound device over her abdomen.

"The baby looks good," he murmured. "Heartbeat is strong and the size is congruent with all the information you and Doctor Amman provided. I think it's safe to say that you're about ten weeks along. Which would make your due date…" He set the monitor down and pulled what appeared to be a calculator type device out of his pocket. Lexi desperately tried to do the math in her head as she realized the month would definitely be August. _Please not the twenty sixth!_ Doctor Petrucci typed in some numbers, then nodded at the result. "August sixteenth."

She let out the breath she'd been holding as relief swamped her. Too many things already reminded her of her last pregnancy and the baby that never was. Having her children share a due date would have been more than she could handle.

"What about the scar tissue," Roman asked.

The doctor picked up the monitor and returned to her belly. Lexi's gritted her teeth as the urge to pee returned in force. With all of the advances in medicine she would have thought they would have figured out a better way to get an ultrasound picture than to use a woman's full bladder as a magnifier.

"Hmm.." Doctor Petrucci lifted a hand and pointed to the opposite side of the screen from where the baby was. "See this white area."

"Yeah?" Roman and Lexi replied in unison.

"That's scar tissue. From what it appears, there seems to be quite a bit in the upper right quadrant. Probably covering the right fallopian tube completely, which is more than likely why it took you so long to get pregnant." He continued moving the monitor. "The rest of the uterus looks healthy. I mean there's a couple of little blips here and there, but nothing I'm too concerned about."

"The baby's not in any danger then?" Roman asked.

Doctor Petrucci shook his head. "The baby's implanted about half way down on the left. It's far away from the scar tissue, so there shouldn't be any issues in that regard."

Lexi frowned. "Wait? I'm confused. So I'm not completely scared up like they told me in the hospital."

Doctor Petrucci shook his head. "If I were to speculate, I'd guess you probably misunderstood them, Lexi. Were you still groggy and sedated when they told you about the miscarriage and hemorrhaging?"

"Yeah," she gave a slight nod.

"Well, combine being drugged, groggy and emotional from the sudden loss of your child and I'd say you completely misunderstood what they were telling you. Yes, you have scar tissue. More than likely the direct result of your miscarriage and yes, it's something for us to watch, but it's not enough to put this pregnancy in jeopardy or prevent you from getting pregnant again. Though it will make getting pregnant more difficult since you'll only be working with one ovary."

Relief swamped Lexi and she felt her body go limp as the tension she'd been carrying for days instantly drained. All that time she'd spent pining over something she thought she couldn't have and it had ended up being just a misunderstanding. "I guess I probably should have gotten a second opinion, huh?"

Doctor Petrucci grinned. "That would have definitely cleared up your confusion."

"Um...Doc," Roman began, then immediately looked uncomfortable as he glanced from the doctor to Lexi and back. "What about…"

Lexi's lips turned up in a slow grin. "I think what my absolutely adorable fiance is trying to ask, is what about sex? Is it safe?"

She met Roman's stare and saw the gratitude and embarrassment in his gaze.

Doctor Petrucci's smile widened. "Completely safe," he replied. "The baby is well cushioned, so as long as you feel up to it, by all means, indulge yourselves."

"Oh." She snapped her fingers as work fell into her thoughts. She didn't want to give up traveling with Roman and the boys if she didn't have to. "Can continue traveling for work?"

The doctor nodded. "You're healthy and I don't foresee any complications. Plus, you have the added benefit of having a Doctor available all the time, so yeah, I'm okay with you continuing to travel, for as long as you can tolerate it."

Lexi exchanged a grin with Roman. "But," Doctor Petrucci added. "I think it would be best if we perform a C-section when it comes time for delivery."

"What?" Lexi's eyes widened as shock rippled through her. "Why?"

"Scar tissue is hard, Lexi. It's not pliable like the rest of the uterus and isn't going to stretch and give. Now this isn't a big deal while the baby is growing, because this process is gradual and will give the rest of your uterus time to adjust around the part that isn't going to give."

"But," Roman questioned, his eyes suddenly filled with concern.

"But," Doctor Petrucci repeated. "During labor, the uterus contracts hard and fast. This quick change adds stress to the structure of the uterus and is not only going to be extra painful, but has the potential to dislodge that scar tissue, cause tearing, and ultimately a hemorrhage."

"Has the potential," Lexi clarified. "Which means it might not happen."

Doctor Petrucci nodded. "That's right. It might not, but why take the chance if we don't need to? A C-section would be a safer way to go for both you and the baby. Yes, it takes a bit longer to recover and would put you out of your line of work for a longer period of time, but in my opinion, it's worth the sacrifice."

* * *

With her hand in Roman's Lexi walked out of the OBGYN's office with an empty bladder and a lot calmer than she was when she'd entered. While she was disappointed to know she couldn't have a vaginal birth, which also meant she woudn't be able to hold her baby right away, she'd figure out a way to come to terms with the disappointment and move on. After all, making sure the baby was healthy and safe was most important.

"You okay?" Roman asked as they slipped into the car.

She nodded. "I'm relieved to know that the pregnancy is healthy and should be uneventful, but I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed about the C-section thing."

He reached over and squeezed her hand. "I had a feeling you would be, but does it really matter how our little one arrives, as long as he or she arrives healthy?"

She managed a small smile. "No. I suppose not."

"I have an idea that might cheer you up a bit." He let go of her hand and started the car.

"Oh yeah?" she arched a brow. "And what would that be?"

"You'll see," he replied and pulled out of the parking lot.

She was wearing a full on grin when Roman parked the car in front of the Babies R Us, ten minutes later. "Now that we know everything is good, let's go do a little wishing and dreaming," he said.

She unbuckled her seat belt, leaned across the seat and pulled him into a soft kiss. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

"Yeah, but I can tell you that it's not half as much as I love you," he replied.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

They were half way through the store when Roman's cell phone rang. His brow knit as he glanced at the screen. "It's my dad."

"Pops," Roman answered as Lexi picked up at box with the words _Belly Bud's_ written on the outside.

"No, everything is fine. According to the doctor, Lexi and the baby are both doing great."

Half listening, she flipped over the box and began to read._ Play prenatal music or the recorded voices of loved ones to the womb..._

"Of course we're still coming for dinner," Roman replied. "Why?"

_Plugs into any standard digital music player or sound device and are easily transportable_, she continued to read.

"Okay, we'll finish up here and head over early then. See you in a few." Roman pressed the off button on his phone. "Dad wants us to come over early. Apparently he has a surprise waiting for us." Roman attention drifted to the box. "What's that?"

"Belly Buds," Lexi replied as she handed him the box. "I can play the baby music in utero."

"Wow." Roman arched a brow. "That's cool. We could get him or her started early on Parkway Drive."

Lexi rolled her eyes. "I was thinking more along the lines of Brahms and Chopin."

Roman wrinkled his nose, then grinned. "So...you want it?"

Lexi returned his smile. "Kinda."

He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Then toss it in the cart with the other stuff and let's head for the check out."

They ended up in line behind a pregnant woman and her two boys who appeared to be around the ages of seven and five. The older boy eyed Roman, then leaned over to his younger brother and whispered in his ear.

Amused, Lexi watched their exchange. "I think you've been recognized," she whispered.

"I think you might be right," he replied, then made a point to smile at the boys.

"Take your hair out of the ponytail," she suggested. "I bet, you'll make their day."

Roman chuckled, reached up and tugged the hair tie loose. His long dark curls tumbled free and Lexi watched as the boys eyes widened in awe. "You _are_ Roman Reigns," the older boy pointed.

"Mommy. Mommy," the younger boy tugged on his mother's shirt. "That's Roman Reigns."

The woman looked down at her son, then up at Lexi and Roman. "Jesse," she scolded the older boy. "Don't point. That's not nice."

"It's okay, ma'am," Roman replied. "I'm sure it's not every day the boys see a professional wrestler while they're running errands with their mother."

"See," the older boy said. "I told you he was Roman Reigns." Wide eyed, he cocked his head to the side and glanced between Roman and Lexi. "And you're Lexi Hart," the boy finally said. He turned to look at his mom. "She's a WWE Diva, mom." He turned back to them. "What are you guys doing in a baby store?" He peered over the top of their cart and it was everything Lexi could do not to break out into a huge grin.

He lifted his head and stared up at at Lexi with curious eyes. "Are you guys going to have a baby or something?"

"Jesse," the mother scolded. "Don't be rude."

Lexi exchanged a grin with Roman, then nodded. "It's quite all right, Mrs?"

"Adamson. Marlene Adamson." she replied.

"Mrs. Adamson." Lexi extended her hand. "As if you haven't figured it out already, I'm Lexi Hart and this is my fiance Roman Reigns." Lexi looked down at the boy she now knew was named Jesse. "And to answer your question, yes, Roman and I are going to have a baby." It felt awesome to be able to say the words.

"So you're not going to wrestle anymore?" the younger boy named Jason asked.

Lexi shook her head. "Not for awhile."

The boy named Jesse's eyes widened and he looked back at his mother. "Can you take a picture with me and Roman?"

Marlene looked sheepish. "I don't think…"

"We can do that," Roman cut her off. "I really don't mind."

His response caused the boys to bounce with excitement. "Please, please, please..mom."

She let out a long sigh. "Well, okay, but after we check out."

When Lexi and Roman finished checking out they found Marlene and the boys waiting near the coin operated kiddie car just inside the exit.

"You're sure about this?" Marlene asked.

Roman grinned. "Absolutely."

Marlene took pictures of Lexi, Roman and the boys on both her phone and Lexi's, then another of just Roman and the boys. "Wow." Jesse glowed as he looked at the picture on the screen. "My friends are going to be so jealous. I guess coming to the baby store was a good thing after all."

"Coming to the baby store is always a good thing," Roman added and Lexi watched with some amusement as both boys noses scrunch in disgust.

"I'm guessing you don't like the baby store?" Lexi grinned.

Jesse shook his head. "It wouldn't be bad, but mom is having a_ girl_ this time." His stuck out a tongue to help emphasis his unhappiness. "So we have to buy all_ girly_ things...yuck."

"Yeah," Jason echoed his brother's actions. "Yuck."

Roman knelt between the boys. "Now why is having a sister such a bad thing?"

Jesse looked shocked by Roman's question. "Are you kidding? Who wants to have a baby sister?"

"Yeah," Jason said. "She'll just get into our stuff and slow us down."

"Oh, but you know what?" Roman asked as he pulled the boys close and lowered his voice in a conspiratorial whisper. "There's also a lots of good things about having a sister."

"Like what?" Jesse asked.

"Like, you won't have to share a room or your toys."

"True," Jesse appeared to consider Roman's statement.

"And that makes you the big brother," Roman said to Jason. "Which means you'll be in charge and you'll have to look out for her and protect her. Having a little sister could be pretty awesome."

"I suppose," Jesse replied slowly, then after a moment nodded. "Yeah, I see what you mean."

"Good." Roman patted the boys on the shoulders and stood. "Now I hate to break this up, but Lexi and I have to get going." He held out a hand to Jesse, shook, then repeated the action with Jason. "It was nice meeting you boys."

Marlene grinned as she turned to Lexi. "Thank you both for being so nice to my boys. I think you made their week."

A few minutes later Lexi slid into the passenger seat and grinned. "That was fun."

Roman returned her smile. "It was."

"And you were fantastic with those boys." She laced her fingers through his. "You're going to be a really great dad."

He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. "And you're going to be a great mom. Now it's time to see what this surprise is that my father has for us."

Feeling centered and amazingly happy for the first time in weeks, Lexi turned up the music and leaned back to enjoy the ride.

They'd only gone a few miles in companionable silence when Roman suddenly turned down the music. "So are you going to tell me what happened between you and Eva Marie on Tuesday or do I have to hunt down Tamina and ask her?"

Lexi turned her head to look at him. "How did you know I had a fight with Eva Marie?"

"Jay told me," Roman replied and made a left at the light. "He said he was going to intervene, but decided not to, since Tamina was there and appeared to have you under control." He glanced over at her. "So what happened?"

Lexi shook her head. "It's really stupid."

"Probably," Roman agreed. "Especially if Eva is involved, but it bothered you enough for you to put your hands on her."

"Yeah," Lexi agreed, "In the moment I was pretty angry, but Tamina was right, Eva isn't worth my effort or concern."

Roman simply arched a brow and Lexi rolled her eyes at him.

"We've had this conversation. Don't roll your eyes at your Dom, sweetheart," he warned.

"Right now, you're_ not_ my Dom. You're my fiance," she shot back and earned yet another look from him.

"Oh fine." She folded her arms. Sometimes she really hated his dominant personality. "Eva thinks I got pregnant with the sole purpose of trapping you into marrying me. She called me pathetic and sad and said that while I'm home getting fat and ugly she'd be sure to step in to take care of your every need."

"Wow, what a bitch," Roman replied. "I can understand why you were ready to punch her. She's garnering a pretty good reputation for being a troublemaker."

"Yeah," Lexi replied. "But hitting her really wouldn't have accomplished anything, except to maybe make me feel better. I know she was just trying to get to me. So why give her the satisfaction?"

"I'm glad you realized that fact." He reached across, took her hand in his and squeezed. "I also hope you know she doesn't have a snowballs chance in hell with me, right?"

Lexi smiled as she nodded. "I trust you. I know you won't cheat."

"Damn right, I won't. I have no reason to when I have everything I need sitting right here next to me."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Roman pulled down the long drive to his parents house and parked behind a car they didn't recognize. "Who's rental car is that?" Lexi asked as she stepped out of the vehicle.

Roman shrugged. "Maybe that has something to do with the surprise he was talking about."

They didn't have to wait long for the answer as the front door squeaked open, drawing their attention. Lexi looked over and froze for only a moment before she took off at a flat run. "Dad!" she took the front steps two at a time and all but threw herself into her father's waiting arms.

He wrapped her in a hug, held her. "I missed you too, baby girl."

She pulled back and grinned. "What are you doing here?"

"After that little message on Tuesday I decided to fly down and surprise you. Only when I went by your place, nobody was home." He looked over at Sika. "So I decided to stop by and seen a old friend while I waited for you."

Weighted down with bags, Roman stepped up onto the porch, set the bag down and extended a hand. "It's good to see you, Dad."

"You too, son," Bret replied as he shook Roman's hand.

Lexi turned her attention to Roman's dad. "Papa Sika."

He opened his arms and Lexi moved in for a hug. "How's my girl?"

"I'm doing great," she replied.

"What's with the bags," Roman's sister Alyssa asked from the doorway, then began to frown as she read the print on the side of the bags. "Hey, you guys went shopping for baby stuff already?" A full on pout appeared as she folded her arms. "I'm dying to take you shopping for baby stuff and you went without me?"

Lexi giggled as she pulled out of Sika's hug. "Don't worry. There is a ton more shopping to do besides what we have here. This is only what we decided I needed right now."

Roman chuckled. "Yeah, needed."

"Come." Sika motioned. "Let's get something cool to drink and retire to the lanai while we wait for your mother to finish dinner.

Bret nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. Besides. I have something I want to talk to you both about."

Once Lexi settled down into a chair with her lemonade she turned to her dad. Damn it was good to see him. "What do you want to talk to us about?"

"A couple of things, actually," Bret leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "First tell me what the doctor said."

Lexi spent the next ten minutes filling the men in on the events from her appointment.

"So you're gonna stay on the road and work?" Bret asked.

Lexi nodded. "That's the plan. Obviously I can't wrestle, but I can still cut promos, do signings and interact with the fans."

"You know as soon as you start to show you're not gonna want to be cramped up in a car for hours on end. Besides it being uncomfortable, it's not good for you."

She'd been preparing for this battle, but had expected it to come from Roman, Seth, or Dean, not her father. "Dad. The doctor says I'm healthy and that there's no reason why I can't travel."

"Fine," Bret leaned back. "I'm not saying you can't travel. I'm just saying you need to be comfortable as possible while you do it."

"We'll do what we can to make her as comfortable as possible," Roman offered.

"That's good," Bret agreed. "But I think I can help in this situation."

Lexi frowned. "How?"

Bret grinned. "I want you to have my tour bus."

Lexi nearly spilled her lemonade. "What?" She jerked her attention to her father and found him grinning back at her.

"You heard me, baby girl. I bought the bus the year before I ended up having to retire. It's just been sitting idle ever since. So why don't you and Roman take it? It's still in excellent condition and it will sleep six comfortably, so there's enough room for Seth and Dean and even Amber and Zoe to travel with you also."

"This is where I come in," Sika rumbled from where he sat next to Roman. "Since your father is giving you the bus, I'm going to pay to have it updated and retrofitted so there will be room for all of you, including the new pepe when it arrives."

Lexi felt as if she were caught up in some amazing dream as she stared absently at her future father-in-law. "I don't know what to say."

"Well," Bret leaned over and took Lexi by the hand. "Don't say anything yet, because this sweet little deal does come with one catch."

"Which is?" Lexi narrowed her eyes. She couldn't begin to think of what he could possibly want from her.

"Set a wedding date and make this arrangement of yours official," Bret ordered.

She jerked back, pulling her hand free. That certainly wasn't what she'd expected him to say. "You're joking?" Lexi asked.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Bret leveled one of his I'm-your-dad-and-you'll-listen-to-what-I-say looks on her. "Honestly, I don't know why you're putting it off. Roman proposed six months ago and I know for a fact that he's been asking about a date as recently as just a few weeks ago."

Memories of her parents divorce raced through her head, mixing with little blips from her past relationship to send a shiver of fear up her spine. "Dad."

Bret shook his head. "Don't _Dad_ me. Do you love this boy?" he pointed to Roman.

"Of course I do," Lexi shot back.

"Then marry him, Alexandra." Bret ordered. "After all, don't you think it's time to finally put the past behind you and move on?"

Feeling the pressure, Lexi glanced between the two men she loved the most in her life. There really wasn't any legitimate reason for her to keep putting off a date. Now that the baby was on the way, it made even more sense to make it official.

"If you're worried about planning everything," Sika began. "Don't. Roman's mother and sister are dying to plan the wedding. And if you'd rather not do anything real big you can have it right here. You can get married on the beach and have the reception right here in the garden."

She had to admit the idea had merit. "Well, I will say that part of why I've been putting it off was all the planning stuff." She motioned to Roman. "We both have large families, which means no matter how small I want to make it, the wedding is going to be fairly big. If I want to have our friends near, we're going to be looking at a minimum of at least one hundred and fifty people."

"So let us handle everything," Sika offered. "You'll make your future mother-in-law and sister-in-law so happy if you let them plan this wedding."

Lexi pursed her lips as she considered the men's arguments. She slid a sideways glance at Roman who had remained uncomfortably silent up to this point. "What do you think?" She asked.

He smirked and shook his head. "I think that I'm fine with whatever you want, sweetheart."

She sighed and arched a brow at him. "Now what kind of answer is that?"

"It's one that keeps me out of hot water," he argued, then turned to face her directly. "Look. If I'd had my way I would have hauled your ass off to Vegas the week after I proposed, but I knew you wouldn't want that." He took her by the hand, pulled her onto his lap.

"Honestly, I don't care what color the flowers are or what flavor the cake is, or whether we have fish or chicken to eat." He lifted a hand and brushed the hair from her face. "All I care about is declaring my love for your in front of our friends and family and putting my ring on your finger so you'll finally be mine."

She gave him a soft smile as she lifted a hand to cup his cheek. "I'm already yours, Roman."

"Then lets make it all official," he whispered.

Her smile widened and she turned to look at the men. "How does the first weekend of May sound for a wedding?"


	9. Chapter 9

_Please don't kill me after reading this chapter. :) Thanks, Sienna!_

* * *

Chapter 9

Roman crawled into bed, slid his arms around Lexi and placed his big hand over her abdomen. The last few days had been a whirlwind of emotions, all culminating to today. It really was amazing how much a person's life could change in just a year's time. The only thing on his mind when he was called up to the main roster a little over a year go was to prove himself.

Now he was the enforcer in one of the biggest stables in WWE history, was not only engaged to the most beautiful women he'd ever set eyes on, but was also going to be a father. Life, he decided, couldn't get any better. Except, his mind questioned as it continued to analyze their earlier conversation with his father and Bret. At first he hadn't been all that bothered when she insisted on putting off the wedding. However, as the months wore on and Lexi continued to make excuses for not setting a date, he couldn't help but grow concerned.

Why didn't she want to get married? That unasked and unanswered question had quickly become the elephant in the room that no one wanted to mention. Now, having her father all but push her into setting a date felt just as wrong as her avoiding the topic. Could he really allow her to go through with the wedding if her heart wasn't in it? He loved her with everything he had, and desperately wanted her to be his wife, but not at the cost of her happiness. Still, didn't he also deserve to be happy? At the very least, he deserved answers.

Lexi snuggled back against him, her bottom gently cupping him as she relaxed. "I'm exhausted, she murmured.

"Me too," he agreed. "I can't believe today."

"Me either," she replied and was again silent.

After a few minutes, he ventured the question he'd been dreading almost from the moment her father forced the wedding issue. "Can I ask you something?"

She turned in his arms to face him. "Of course you can."

"Do you really want to get married, or did you just bow to pressure?"

Silence hung in the air between them as she stared somberly up at him. "I wouldn't have said yes if I didn't want to marry you, Roman."

Her answer only served to frustrate him further. "So why did it take your father pushing you into a corner for you to finally set a date?"

She sighed. "Do we have to talk about this now?"

He pushed up onto his elbow and looked down at her. "We've been avoiding talking about it for months. Don't you think we need to?"

A frown claimed her face as she rolled onto her back to look at him. "Okay, let's talk."

"So why don't you want to marry me?"

"I do want to marry you," she argued.

"But?" Knowing there was more to her statement, he arched a challenging brow.

She let out a heavy sigh. "There are a couple of reasons, but none of them have anything to do with my love for you."

Ignoring her declaration he prompted. "And those would be?"

"Well for one, I felt overwhelmed," she replied. "The whole planning a wedding thing is such a big deal. We both have huge families and I know my mom. She would have totally been up my ass about every decision I made and would have been hurt if I told her to back off. But on the flip side I didn't want to make all the decisions by myself, either."

"So by not setting a date, you were pushing off having to make the plans."

She nodded. "It's lame, I know, but just the idea was daunting. Since your family has volunteered to take care of all the planning, and I don't have to worry about it, that removes an obstacle."

"Well that's one, but you said there were a couple of reasons."

She nodded and he watched the remainder of the joy disappear from her eyes. "It's complicated."

"I have all night."

She nodded. "Okay. First there's my parents divorce. It wasn't pretty and I swore I would never end up like them. If I never got married then I could never get divorced. Of course, that thought was only solidified further by my failed relationship with Edge."

Irritation skimmed around the edges of his emotions. "So better to avoid happiness than risk being burned later?"

She opened her mouth to argue, then closed it again without saying a word. Her silence only served as fuel for his building temper. "When are you going to stop using him as an excuse, Lexi?"

She blinked as shock filled her eyes. "I'm not-"

"Yes, you are," Roman shouted, shocking himself by his outburst nearly as much as he shocked her. Immediately, he pushed away and off the bed as the floodgates opened. "You've spent our entire relationship second guessing every step you make because of him."

"I have not." She sat up and hugged her knees to her chest.

"The fuck you haven't," he argued as his anger boiled over. "From day one, you've been comparing me to your ex and damn it, I've had enough. Every time I'd think we'd have a breakthrough, something else pops up that you can't seem to push past."

He knew in her condition she needed him to be calm, but he couldn't seem to find it within himself. "I love you, God damn it!" He began to pace. "I love you more than I've ever loved anyone in my life." He raked a hand through his loose hair. "I want to be there for you, for our baby. I want to share the happiness and the sorrow, but I'll be damned if I'll live in a one sided relationship." He poked a thumb against his bare chest. "I deserve the same love that I give and by God I'm not going to settle for any less." He snagged his pillow off the bed. "Yes, what happened to you was horrible. He cheated on you with another woman. He hurt you and he temporarily destroyed your life."

His breathing hitched as he shook his head. "I'm sorry for all of that, and I wish there was a way for me to make all that pain go away, but I'm tired of you punishing me for something I had nothing to do with it."

"I'm not-" she began even as tears trickled down her cheeks. Inside his heart broke just a little, at the realization that he'd caused those tears, but it wasn't enough for him to stop. He was hurting too and damn it she needed to know the pain she was causing.

"You are," he all but roared over her protest, then raked a hand over his face. "Damn it, Lexi. He's been out of your life for four years. At what point are you going to put the past behind you and look at what you have right in front of you?" Roman shook his head, turned on his heel and headed for the door. His heart crack more as he reached for the handle, then turned back to see her gently rocking with her arms wrapped around her knees.

He hated himself for what he was about to say. Hated her for forcing him to say it. "I can't do this, Lexi. I can't live like this, knowing I'm always going to play second string to your past. I'm sorry." Without another word, he turned and walked out. He hadn't meant to slam it. He really hadn't, but the wood shook with the result of his anger as he stormed down the steps toward the couch.

He threw the pillow into the couch corner, turned and dropped onto the cushions. Why was it just when everything in his life seemed to be going the right way did this issue have to crop back up? he turned his gaze toward the ceiling and thought he could hear the faint whisper of Lexi crying.

_Damn it!_ Roman wanted to kill Edge for the damage he'd caused to her and in turn to himself. Still, she wasn't entirely innocent in this situation and Roman needed to remember that fact. Sighing, he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. Why did life have to be so fucking complicated? Exhausted and emotionally wrecked, Roman did the one thing he hadn't done in years. He buried his face in his hands and wept.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Lexi didn't know exactly how long she lay sobbing into the pillow before her tears ran dry or how long she lay alone in the dark, staring absently at the ceiling fan slowly whirring above. At first she'd tried to convince herself that Roman hadn't meant what he said. Only the more she thought about it, the more she realized just how right he'd been.

Ever since the accident, she'd kept everyone at arm's length. She'd never wanted to feel that kind of pain again. Then Roman came along and turned her world upside down. He'd refused to allow her to hide from her feelings, had broken down her walls and shown her that she could indeed love again. Yet despite giving him her heart, she hadn't been able to fulling give him her trust. Yes, she'd told him she knew he wouldn't cheat and she knew he wouldn't. She believe it, but believing it, didn't dislodge the fear or the paranoia

She rolled onto her side and stared at the soft glow of light peeking around the edge of the curtains. It must be near dawn, she half considered as her bleary gaze focused on the small pattern the light created on the carpet. She wondered if he'd managed to sleep?

Would he want to see her? Talk to her? After the blowout they'd had last night she highly doubted it. Who could blame him? She'd brought this entire situation on herself. He was, after all, right about everything he'd said. Somewhere deep in her subconscious she'd been doing exactly what he accused her of and because if it, she might have just lost the best thing that ever happened to her.

She slid her other hand down over her abdomen and thought about how her inability to trust would now affect their unborn child. Roman wanted the baby and she had no doubt he would be there for their little one, but would he still be there for her? Lexi closed her eyes and swallowed hard as a tear trickled down her face. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Her mind churned now, pumping out possible scenarios for her future. One included the addition of another woman that had her heart shattering against her chest. If she couldn't find a way to give him all of her, not just her love, but her trust too, she would eventually lose him to another woman. Then Eva Marie's image came to mind and Lexi's stomach lurched in response. While she doubted he'd ever entertain Eva, another woman just like her could easily take Lexi's place.

This child would tie her to Roman for the rest of their lives. How in the world would she handle seeing him with another woman? Knowing that some other woman was now the recipient of his love? The overwhelming need to cry sprang forth yet again and Lexi pressed a hand to her already pounding head. Her stomach began to churn and the need to vomit burned in her throat. She scrambled off the bed. Dizzy from lack of sleep and the sudden movement, she stumbled, smacked into the wall and knocked off a picture that crashed to the floor.

She barely made it into the bathroom before she dropped to her knees and purged. Dry heaves claimed her body, causing violent wracking shudders. Blackness ebbed around the edges of her vision as her stomach tightened like a vice a second time and she gagged.

* * *

Regret was one powerful emotion, Roman decided as he lay on the couch with his tattooed arm covering his eyes. Doubts, heartache and sorrow crept into his thoughts as he replayed last night's fight for the hundredth time. How could he have yelled at her like that? Especially in her condition? Wasn't it his job to look out for her? Protect her? He smirked. Hell of a job he'd done accomplishing that task.

A thud from up stairs immediately followed by the sound of glass breaking had fear skittering up his spine. He bolted off the couch. "Lexi!" He took the steps two at a time, raced down the hall, slid to a stop in front of the bedroom, flung open the door and felt the tight fist of panic when he spotted the bed empty.

The sound of retching pulled him toward the bathroom where he found Lexi on her knees, leaning over the toilet. Slowly, he moved in behind her, gathered up her hair.

When she finally managed to set back, she was unable to hold herself up and sagged against the vanity. Her eyes were puffy, as if she'd recently been crying and she was frightenly ashen in color. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "I'm so sorry. Please don't leave."

"No." He pulled her against him, cradling her in his arms. "I'm not going anywhere," he replied as fear tickled the back of his throat. Dear God, what had he done to her?

"I love you," she said so softly Roman almost missed it.

"I love you too, baby." He scooped her into his arms and made his way back to the bed. Careful not to jar her anymore than necessary, he placed her on the bed, then crawled in next to her. She turned to him, buried her face in his chest. "I'm so sorry."

Feeling every bit of the heel he played on television, he stroked a hand along her back. "I'm the one who should be sorry.."

"You're right," she finally said after a short silence.

"About what?"

"I was being unfair to you." She pulled back and rested her head on the pillow. Her red, swollen and sad eyes stared up at him. "I wasn't doing it on purpose." She reached out, her cold and shaky fingers skimmed across his jaw. "I would have never hurt you on purpose."

"I know you wouldn't and I'm so sorry I yell at you last night," he leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "I was hurting and I took it out on you."

"I know you were," she replied. "But the sad reality is, we both needed it to happen. We needed to get this out in the open." She sighed and let her hand fall away. "I cried...a lot...after you went down stairs."

"I know." He skimmed a finger along her cheek. "I can see it in your eyes."

"I didn't cry because you were angry though," she clarified. "Yes, it upset me that you were angry with me." She closed her eyes. "I hate when you're angry with me."

"Baby, open your eyes."

She did and stared up at him. "I'm not angry anymore."

A sad smile tipped the edges of her lips. "I know, but I'm angry with me and I cried because I thought I'd screwed up our future. I cried at the idea of our baby being born into an already broken family, at the idea of seeing you with some other woman."

Her voice cracked and so did his heart. "Lexi-"

She shook her head, cutting him off. "It made me realize that the reality of my actions would be so much worse than anything my fears could dream up." She sucked in a shuddering breath. "You are my life, Roman. You and this baby and I don't want to lose what I have, because of what never could have been or what might never be."

"You're not going to lose me, sweetheart. You're my life too. As angry and hurt as I was last night, I would never have left." When she opened her mouth to speak and his shook his head. "Let me finish. I said things I didn't mean last night. I said them on purpose, to hurt you, and I'm so, very sorry."

"They needed to be said," she replied. "It made me see what an idiot I was being." She paused and reached for his hand. "You know," she said idly. "I was seeing a therapist after the accident. Then I got to a point where I thought I was better." She laced her fingers with his. "I'm not better, but I want to be. I want to be for your and our baby, so I'm gonna start seeing a therapist again."

A small smile tipped his lips as he stared at their interlaced fingers. He knew just how difficult it was for her to admit she needed help. For her to willingly see a therapist was so huge. "I'll go with you if you want."

Finally, blessedly, she gave him a full on smile. "I would like that...a lot."

With a certain amount of resolution to their issue, he settled down next to her. A sudden and desperate need to rebuild the bond he'd broken last night poured through him and he tugged her close. "Have you slept at all?"

She shook her head and snuggled against him. "Couldn't sleep," she murmured, even as her eyes drifted closed. "Don't sleep well without you."

"Well, sleep now, sweetheart. I've got you and I promise I'm not going anywhere."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10

It had been a month since her big fight with Roman and in that time she'd she'd seen her new therapist twice, once by herself and once with Roman. While he didn't need to go with her all the time, it felt damn good to know when she did need him to be there, he would come.

The one big issue she'd already identified was something so ingrained in her she knew it would be extremely difficult to correct and it stemmed from growing up as a member of the Hart Dynasty. While she loved her father dearly and enjoyed having such a large and supportive family, it had also come with a price. Being the granddaughter of Stu Hart and daughter of the great Bret 'Hitman' Hart meant she had a certain reputation to uphold.

From the time she was small enough to remember, she'd been taught that Harts weren't weaklings or whiny. They portrayed a strong constitution, carried themselves with pride and when hurt, sucked up the pain. Being a Hart meant, to a certain degree, being a loner. She'd accepted that stereotype as her cross to bare and from time to time had even carried it proudly. She'd never really seen it as a detriment. At least not until she met Roman.

When it came to emotions, his family was the opposite of everything she'd ever been taught. While also extremely proud of their lineage, his family's philosophy ran more along the thought that emotions weren't a weakness, but an asset. Where Harts were taught to bury their emotions and carry themselves proudly, Roman's family wore their emotions on their sleeve. After spending over a year with him, sometimes she was still awed by his ability to share his feelings with her.

Several times during her first two appointments she'd mentioned how unhappy she was with her inability to control her emotions while pregnant. How the violent mood swings and crying jags left her feeling vulnerable and ashamed. Roman had looked horrified when she'd made that admission, but he'd refrained from commenting, instead letting the therapist do her job.

She'd told Lexi that her mission was to share one emotional moment a day with Roman. It didn't have to be anything big. Something as simple as expressing her love for him or sharing her feelings over any situation would work. The goal was simply to open up and share and ultimately by doing so, she would slowly begin to build trust.

Desperately wanting to work through her mental roadblocks she'd managed to do just as the therapist asked and already felt not only lighter inside, but also closer to Roman. It was a strange feeling, but one she very much liked.

She opened the tour bus door and caught sight of Seth and Dean walking toward them. Dean whistled as they approached. "Damn girl. The Hitman really hooked you up."

Seth's smile reached from ear to ear as he pulled her into a hug. "How was the trip up from Pensacola?"

She pulled back and grinned. "It was great."

"Wait a second," Seth took a step back and appeared to assess her. "Are you showing already?"

Giddy that he'd noticed, Lexi turned slightly to the side and smoothed down her shirt.

"I'll be damned," Seth's grin widened. "You are."

"Just a little," she replied. So far, other than Roman, nobody had noticed.

"It's official," Dean said smiling as he pulled her into a hug. "You're new nickname is now Lil' Mama."

Feeling lighter than air from her friend's support she stepped back and motioned. "Come on in and see our new digs."

The boys followed her inside and both were oohing and aahing within moments. "Damn, and we get to ride in this?" Seth turned in a circle.

Lexi smiled again as Roman walked up behind her. "You get to help drive if you want," he offered.

Dean arched a brow. "Really? Don't you need a special license to drive one of these?"

Roman shook his head. "It's recommended that you take a class, but you don't need a commercial license if you're not being paid to drive passengers professionally. Since this is a privately owned vehicle we don't have that issue."

"Sweet." Seth rubbed his hands together. "Beats the hell out of being all cramped up in a car for hours on end."

Lexi nodded. "And with a real kitchen, we can cook. So we can back off on the fast food."

"I like that idea," Dean agreed.

* * *

Lexi finished giving them the quick tour, then headed into the arena to speak with Hunter and Stephanie. Since suddenly disappearing from the ring a month ago, speculation had begun to run rampant as to Lexi's whereabouts and why she wasn't wrestling.

On more than one occasion the guys had been grilled at press conferences and signings as to Lexi's status. Only for them to smoothly state that she was away on personal business. Those comments only fed the speculation and in return, she'd began watching the twitter feeds with some interest and was more than a little amused by some of the wild theories flying about. While a few fans did guess that she was pregnant, most theorized that her abrupt absence due to a family emergency had something to do with Bret or her and Roman breaking up.

She walked into Stephanie's office, spotted her on the phone and eased into the closest chair. While she waited for Stephanie to finish a call, Lexi checked the latest feed

_Family emergency? Did Hitman have another stroke? #hitmanhart #lexihart._

_Oh no! Hitman is sick? Hope it's nothing too serious. #prayers #lexihart #brethart_

_Looks like maybe #TheShield is breaking up in more than one way. Did Lexi and Roman split? #theshield. #ReignsHart_

Lexi shook her head and grinned.

"What's so funny?" Stephanie asked as she hung up her phone.

"I'm just checking the twitter feed," Lexi turned her cell phone so Stephanie could see. "I feel bad not telling the fans the truth, but honestly, seeing them speculate is kinda fun."

Stephanie read the posts and smirked. "That's just what we were hoping to see. Having the fans not know for sure why you're gone is really helping to bring the focus back on the boys."

Lexi closed the app and set her phone aside. "So when do we tell them?" She placed a protective hand over the small bump where her baby grew. "I'm starting to show. Granted, it's just a little and with bigger clothing nobody would be able to tell, but in a few more weeks that won't be the case."

"Then we'll wait a few more weeks before we reveal your pregnancy," Stephanie said. In the meantime we'll have Roman and Dean continue to work the dissension angle.

Lexi frowned. "I really don't like the idea of breaking up The Shield."

Stephanie cocked her head to the side and smiled. "I know, but in this business, all good things must eventually come to an end. All three of those men have bright futures as singles stars. So does Amber and well...you're already a star."

Lexi grinned at the compliment. "I know. It's just, I've really enjoyed being a part of this storyline."

"Even though they are bad guys?"

"Even though they are bad guys," Lexi agreed.

Stephanie's smile faltered. "Well, I hope you still enjoy it after I tell you our idea for the next segment in the storyline."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Desperately trying to steady her nerves, Lexi stepped back onto the tour bus. She'd spent the last twenty minutes doing everything in her power to talk Stephanie out of the new script idea. It was all to no avail. Lexi stepped up into the living area and the moment she spotted the boys sitting on the couches a lump formed in her throat.

"So?" Roman inquired. "How did it go?"

She couldn't bring herself to talk, couldn't do more than shake her head and wave them off with a quick, dismissive hand as she bolted for the bedroom. She stripped off her coat along the way, letting it drop silently to the floor somewhere behind her, then climbed onto the bed and curled into ball. How could they be so callous?

The bed dipped behind her, then warm arms wrapped around her. "What happened?" Roman whispered.

She shook her head as tears broke free and trickled down her face. God, she hated the messy emotions being pregnant caused.

The bed moved a second time and she felt a hand on her leg. "Come on, Lil' Mama, tell us what has you so upset."

"I can't believe they want to use me like this," she nearly whined.

"Like what?" Seth asked. "Come on Lexi. Talk to us."

"We can fix it, but you have to tell us what's going on," Dean added.

Wiping her tears with the back of her hand Lexi turned, pushed herself more upright so she sat against the headboard. Anger and frustration coursed through her, yet instead of showering her anger, she cried like an idiot. Of course that fact only added another layer to her frustration. "She wants to make me the catalyst for The Shield's demise," she finally said, then watched as the men exchanged wary glances.

"How?" Roman finally asked.

Lexi, reached across to the small nightstand and grabbed a tissue. "By saying that the baby is Dean's not yours."

"What?" The three men shouted in unison and Dean practically leaped off the bed.

"How?" Seth shouted over Dean's very creative curse.

She slid a sideways glance at Roman who, surprisingly, didn't look nearly as angry as she'd expected. "By using us and the baby as the reason for the infighting between Dean and I, right?" Roman asked.

She gave him a slow nod. "They want to plant the seeds that Dean and I have been having an affair and I've left you because of your accusations and jealousy. Which is the reason I'm gone right now. Then, in a few weeks when I'm showing just a little more, I'm supposed to come back, tell you I'm pregnant. At that point Dean is supposed to come forward and claim the baby is his-"

"Dean and I end up in a fight and The Shield breaks up," Roman finished the statement.

She nodded. "The situation would get you over with the fans and help transition the face turn they're planning for you. Dean is a better heel anyway, so it wouldn't harm him any and well, Seth and Amber are innocent in any wrong doing so the fans won't hate them."

"But the fans will hate you for cheating on Roman," Seth argued. "Your reputation will go straight to hell."

Lexi sighed. "Stephanie says because I'm a star and a legacy I'll eventually recover with the fans."

"Wait," Dean held up a hand. "Why did they chose me instead of Seth?"

"Because as far as the fans are concerned, you're single," Lexi replied. "Nobody knows about your relationship with Zoe, so it made sense for them to use you instead of Seth."

"Fuck," Roman exclaimed. "Like you need the added stress this could put on you."

"I don't like it." Seth shook his head.

"Well duh," Dean replied. "I'm pretty sure none of us like it. I mean I'm all for furthering our careers, but not at Lexi's expense," He glanced up at Lexi. "There has to be another way."

"If you know of one then start talking," Lexi said. "Otherwise, this storyline is going to move forward."

"Like hell," Roman growled. "I won't let them do this to you."

She reached for him now. "What you're not going to do is ruin your career by going against management's wishes."

"Lexi-" He warned.

She shook her head. "Don't, okay. In the grand scheme, this is a blip on the radar, a moment in time that will pass. You have years, Roman and I don't want you screwing that chance up."

"What if we can find some better storyline for them to follow?" Seth asked. "Would they consider some alternative?"

Lexi shrugged. "Stephanie said they would, but who knows for sure and what could we come up with that would be better than what they already have?"

"I don't know," Dean shook his head, "But there has to be a way."

"I'll go find Zoe, Amber and Nattie. The more people we can brainstorm with, the better chance we'll have for finding a way out of this situation."

"Stephanie wants to wait until I'm showing a bit more, so that should buy us a few more weeks. Maybe even another month," Lexi offered. "They're talking about building toward Wrestlemania for the match so she's looking for the reveal toward the middle to end of March."

"Good." Roman nodded. "That gives us some time to come up with something."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Kinda ironic isn't it?"

Nearly two weeks after Stephanie's bombshell, Lexi sat on the plush overstuffed chair inside her therapist's office and listen to the woman she'd chosen to confide in call her situation ironic. Lexi frowned. "How do you mean?"

"Well," Doctor Moreno leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. "Part of the reason you're here is because you were cheated on, and now your work wants you to be the cheater."

Lexi pursed her lips as she considered that statement. "I suppose there's a certain amount of sick irony in this situation."

"How much stress is this new storyline putting on you and the baby?" Doctor Moreno challenged.

Lexi shrugged. "I haven't been sleeping all that well and I've been waking up nauseous again."

"And how does Roman feel about the situation and the stress?"

Lexi picked at a piece of non-existent fuzz on her pants. "He's miserable and worried about me. He wants to confront Stephanie and creative, but I won't let him."

"And that's creating tension between you two?"

Lexi nodded. "Yeah, but it's nothing I can't handle."

"Nothing you can't handle," Doctor Moreno arched a brow. "Are you sure about that?"

Surprised by the fact that she was stunned by the question, Lexi stared at her. "I won't let him ruin his career."

"What is the worst that would happen if he did?" Doctor Moreno challenged again. "He'd have to find a new line of work right? Possibly something a bit more normal."

Lexi shook her head now as frustration began to build. "Normal is a relative term. Even you know that. Wrestling is our life. It's what we both grew up in. It's what we both know. It's all Roman has ever wanted." She could feel the emotion building now, growing stronger a the words tumbled from her mouth. "I won't let him screw up his dream for me."

"How do you know standing up to management will screw up his dream?"

Sudden sadness flooded through her and she lifted a hand to her head, pressing her index finger and thumb to her temples. The move was partially to stave off the beginning of a headache and partially to hide her eyes which began to tear. "You don't know the McMahon's like I do. You've never seen what they can do to a career." She sucked in quick breath and managed to find that much need and recently absent control she used to have. "Just ask my father about the McMahon's. He'll tell you that they're power hungry and full of themselves. They're not the kind of people who you want to cross. Not if you want to keep your job."

"Yet, from what I've heard, you've never been afraid to cross them before. So why stop now?" Doctor Moreno leaned back in her chair and tapped a finger on it's arm. "Why kowtow now when you didn't before?"

"I'm not kowtowing," Lexi argued. "I just know how they work. Last time I stood up to them, I had leverage. My contract was up and we were in negotiations. I'm a superstar and a legacy. The fans love me and my leaving would have caused a big blow to them."

"And yet, from what I hear you walked away from the business in order to save Roman's career, right?"

Lexi nodded. "So?"

"So, they still ended up asking you to come back, right?"

"Right," Lexi sighed. "What's your point?"

"My point is, this time you have even more at stake than both your career's, Lexi. Right now, you have your health to worry about. Plus the future of your unborn child and the stability of your relationship with Roman. By preventing him from confronting management you're emasculating him to a certain degree." Doctor Moreno pushed up from her chair and moved to the cooler where she poured a glass of water, then crossed back and handed it to Lexi. "Without him being here, I can't know for sure, but I'd bet he's feeling impotent in his roll as your protector."

Lexi accepted the glass, took a small drink before setting it on the table. "I don't want him to be my protector, Doc. I want him to live out his dream."

"At what cost, Lexi?" Doctor Moreno challenged. "I realize that in the grand scheme, this is just some fictional storyline, but the fallout from it could be very real, for both you and Roman."

* * *

Lexi was still thinking about her conversation with Doctor Moreno later that week as she walked through the halls of the arena. Doctor Moreno didn't understand. This… She glanced around the concrete corridor. This was their lives. This was all they knew. If Roman confronted management and they fired him then what? Sure he could get a job working somewhere...anywhere, but would he ever truly be happy? He thrived on being in the spotlight. If she were honest, so did she. While her time here might be limited now by the birth of their child, that didn't mean her career was over. When it came time for her to step out of the ring for the last time, she would easily be able to make the transition to instructor at the training facility in Orlando. They'd only be a couple of hours away from his family in Pensacola and Nattie and TJ in Tampa. Her children could go to school while she worked at the training center and Roman continued to travel and be the star he deserved to be.

In her mind their future was all worked out, but if they pushed back on this issue and pissed off management, all of her plans could end up flushed down the toilet.

With only a week and a half left until the big breakup they were running out of time to come up with an alternative idea. Creative was doing a great job with playing Roman and Dean against each other, then bringing the men back together. Visible cracks has formed in the team and the fans were chomping at the bit, waiting for the end result.

Damn it she didn't want to be the one to perpetuate that end result. There just had to be another way. Lost in her thoughts, she turned a corner and ran smack into a warm body that had her nearly tumbling backwards on her ass.. "Whoa. Sorry about that," the eerily familiar voice sent an instant chill dancing up her spine as she jerked away from the hands that touched her. _It couldn't be?_

"Lexi?"

Slowly she lifted her gaze and found herself staring into familiar blue eyes. Eyes that the last time she'd seen them four long years ago, had stared back at her in mocking disdain.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

She'd expected to feel that familiar jolt of pain that always seemed to come whenever something reminded her of him. Instead, she felt nothing...absolutely nothing, but the shock of seeing him in person.

He grinned and took a step back. "I thought that was you," he said as his eyes appeared to assess her. "You look good, sugar."

Her stomach clenched at the sound of his endearment for her as a quick flash of revulsion sliced through her. "Don't call me that," she nearly spat.

His grin faltered. "Oh...sorry. I wasn't thinking." An uncomfortable silence fell between them before he motioned to her belly. "Congratulations, by the way."

"Thanks," she murmured as she placed a protective hand over her baby.

"When are you due?"

"August," she replied and watched as his eyes flared with awareness. Good, she thought. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who'd been left stinging from the results of his actions.

"The twenty-sixth?" he asked tentatively.

"Sixteenth," she replied.

He nodded, then stuffed his hands into his front pockets and rocked back on his heels. For a moment another uncomfortable silence fell between them. "Look, Lexi," he began. "I know I'm probably the last person on the face of the earth you want to see, but before you bolt, could I just have five minutes of your time?"

Defiance lit through her like an instant torch and she folded her arms. "Why should I agree?"

He actually had the nerve to look sheepish. "You shouldn't and if you don't want to, I'll understand. I know you hate my guts and rightly so, but I know you're a better person than to just walk away out of spite."

She wasn't quite sure how she felt about his backhanded compliment. Plus, she had to admit that some part of her was curious about what he could possibly have to say. "Fine. Five minutes." She glanced around, noting the lack of people. "But not here. Let's go to catering." It was important for her to have witnesses just in case word made it back to Roman before she had a chance to tell him.

They walked into catering and Lexi noted the gazes that turned in her direction, then the whispers began. Rumors would no doubt be flying all over the company before the cameras would start rolling for Smackdown later than night. It would be just another aggravation she'd have to deal with later. She swallowed hard and pointed to an empty table. Once seated, she folded her arms, a gesture meant to convey the distance she needed to keep from him. "What are you doing here?"

"From time to time, the executives at Sci-Fi like to cross promote Haven. They have a deal worked out with WWE for that to happen. I've wanted to talk to you the last two times I'd been here to promote, but you avoided me the first time and you'd already flown ahead to England for the world tour when I was here the second."

He leaned forward in his chair and rested his arms on the table. "I'm really glad I got a chance to see you this time."

"Why?" She asked as she cocked her head to the side and shot him a defiant stare. "I think you're feelings for me were pretty clear the last time I saw you." After everything he'd put her through she'd be damned if she was going to make this easy on him.

His lips thinned and he nodded. "I deserved that shot."

"You deserved a lot more than just that shot," she snapped as her anger slowly began to build.

"You're right." He nodded without so much as a fight. "I do. I was a bastard to you and you'll never know just how sorry I am for everything that happened."

She stiffened at his apology. "Are you? Are you really, Adam, because you've had four years to apologize. Yet, all I've heard from you is silence."

"I was drunk," he shot back. His voice loud enough to cause heads to turn before he lowered it again. "I was three sheets to the wind that night. Shit face drunk and Lita had been teasing me for weeks."

"That's your excuse," she snorted. "Too much alcohol and a weak constitution?"

"Damn it, Lexi, I don't even remember the incident." He raked a hand over his now short hair. "I woke up hung over the next morning horrified to find Lita in my bed and you missing." He looked at her now and she could see the pain in his eyes. "I started calling people trying to locate you. Jericho was the one who told me what I did and then about the accident. I practically flew to the hospital, but your father and Uncle Jim refused to let me in to see you."

He lowered his gaze to the table and sighed heavily. "I found out you were pregnant and that you'd lost the baby, later that day when Chris confronted me. Right before he threatened to pound me into dirt for hurting you."

Lexi nearly smiled at that. Chris Jericho had to be her closest best male friend. At the request of her father Chris had taken her under his wing when she first started and they'd grown close as any two people could be without being romantically involved. It occurred to her that with him away on tour with Fozzy, she had yet to tell him about the pregnancy. She filed that thought away with a mental note to revisit it later as she turned her attention back to Edge.

"I found out about your due date from Stephanie some time later." he finished. When he looked up again there were tears in his eyes and Lexi felt her resolve hedge just a little. "I'm so fucking sorry, sugar."

"Don't," she snarled and blinked back her own need to cry and held up a hand. "I said don't call me that."

He swallowed hard and nodded. "It slipped." There was anguish in his expression and in his tone as he spoke. "I've spent years regretting what I did and wishing I could fix things between us."

"You never tried," she pointed out, her own voice now barely a whisper and rough with emotion.

"I did a few times right after the accident, but your father intercepted my attempts. He warned me to get lost and told me that if I truly loved you the way I said, to prove it by leaving you alone and letting you heal." He pointed to her belly and gave her a small smile. "I'm glad to see you've been able to find the happiness I couldn't give you." He wiped at his eyes. "I mean you are happy, right?"

Wayward emotions and elevated hormones jumbled her mind, yet through the fuzzy haze of unresolved grief and regret thoughts of Roman slowly surfaced. An automatic smile now tipped her lips and she nodded. "I love Roman so much. He really has been the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Adam's smile grew. "I'm glad, Lexi. Really glad to hear that. I realize you'll probably never be able to forgive me for what I did, and I wouldn't expect you to, but at least I can go on knowing you're finally happy."

"I am happy," she replied and realized that despite all the stupid nonsense going on in her life, she really was grateful to have Roman's love and protection. "I guess in a way I should be thanking you."

He arched a curious brow. "Why is that?"

"Because if things hadn't played out the way they did, I might never have met Roman."


	15. Chapter 15

Where in the hell is Lexi? Flanked by Dean and Seth, Roman stormed down the arena's concrete halls, his concern running in overdrive. As the days grew closer for the big Shield breakup, he could tell she was growing more and more distraught. He'd tried on several occasions to get her to talk, to convince her to let him confront management. She'd refused and instead of pushing the issue further and ending up in a fight, he'd let the subject drop.

That was until after they'd finished their latest meeting with creative. She'd looked so overwrought when they were through that he'd pushed her to talk. Her answer was that she needed to take a walk to clear her head, and when she came back they'd talk. Only an hour later she hadn't returned and he'd grown concerned.

"Have you seen Lexi," Seth asked Alicia Fox as they passed. Alicia only shook her head before turning back to talk with Aksana.

"She has to be around here," Dean said, then waved a hand at Randy Orton. "Hey, you seen Lexi?"

Orton arched a brow and frowned. "No, why?"

Dean shook his head. "Never mind."

Eva Marie stepped directly into their path, forcing Roman to stop short or run over the young Diva. Frustrated and more than a little irritated at the interruption, he raked a hand through his hair. "What do you want, Eva?"

"You looking for someone," she asked as she cocked her head to the side.

"Lexi," Roman replied as he fought back his urge to yell. He really didn't have time for the likes of Eva.

Eva looked up at him from beneath fake lashes. "Why do you want Lexi, Roman?" She lifted a hand, stroked it along his arm. "Someone as handsome and strong as you deserves to have a trophy on his arm." She shot him a small, mischievous smile. "I could be that trophy. I could give you anything you want."

Behind him he could hear Dean and Seth snickering and barely held back the need to turn and clobber them both. Instead he focused his irritation on the source. "You," Roman said as he used his finger and thumb to pluck her hand off him. "Have nothing I want. Now get the hell out of my way."

Apparently, now having her ego sufficiently bruised, Eva stepped out of the way. "If you change your mind," she offered.

"I won't,"Roman shot back over his shoulder and was treated to Seth and Dean chuckling response. "I should clock both of you," he growled.

"Yeah, but you won't," Seth declared.

"And why is that?"

"Because you need us to help you find Lexi," Dean replied.

Roman rolled his eyes. "Let's check catering."

They'd gone several feet in tense silence when Seth finally spoke again. "You know, I'm sure wherever Lexi is, she's fine."

Roman ignored Seth's attempt to soothe his fears and continued toward catering. Maybe she'd gotten caught up with Amber, Zoe or Nattie and was gossiping over a cup of coffee. It had better be decaf. His little spitfire had a severe caffeine addiction that, now with her being pregnant, continued to be a source of contention between them. She never was much of a soda drinker, but her love of coffee ran deep and was a constant test of wills between them.

"Come on, Rome," Dean began. "She's not gonna do anything stupid."

"Define stupid," Roman growled as he reached for the door to catering. As far as he was concerned she'd been overtaxing herself for weeks. Ever since she'd learned about that damn storyline her sleep had become sporadic and fitful that left her looking exhausted and him worried out of his mind.

More than once he'd expressed his concern for her health and she'd all but flat out refused to listen to him when he'd ordered her to slow down. Damn that independent streak of hers. When they'd first met, he'd found her independence intriguing, almost charming. Now he just wanted to bend her over his knee and beat her ass until it drained from her.

He stepped into catering, stopped and scanned the large room. His gaze landed on her sitting at a table off to the right with her back to him. She was talking to...what the fuck?

"Is that who I think it is?" Dean asked, even as Roman growled and took a step forward. Seth stepped into his path. "Whoa, wait a minute, big man."

"Why should I?"

"Because you really need to take a minute and look at her before you do or say something you'll regret," Seth argued.

Roman turned his attention from Seth back to Lexi and studied her.

"See how she's sitting turned to the side so her body is point away from him with her arms folded?" Seth pointed out. "She's letting him know that he needs to keep his distance. That touching her is off limits. maybe even that she still harbors anger toward him."

Dean nodded. "And the expression on her face tells me that while she's not entirely happy to be having the conversation he hasn't seriously upset her either."

Roman watched, considering their words and her actions as he thought about the situation. As far as he knew, she'd never actually confronted Edge about what happened. Hell, from what Bret told him, she never spoke to Edge again after she'd found him with Lita. As much as he didn't like seeing her talking to the slime, maybe the conversation they were now having needed to happen. Maybe if it did, she'd could finally put that part of her life behind her and move on.

After several long minutes of back and forth between Lexi and Edge, some of it slightly heated, she finally smiled at the man then stood. Edge followed and started to pull her into a hug. Roman's fingers curled into fists and he had to resist the urge to intervene. Only instead of hugging him, Lexi took a full step back, out of his reach. She extended a hand to shake and Roman's anger drained away. That's my girl!

She shook Edge's hand, then turned away, took two steps and stopped abruptly. Awareness prickled along Roman's skin. Something was wrong. Even as she lifted a hand to her head and began to sway he bolted toward her in a dead run. She took a step back, apparently in attempt to stay on her feet. The move failed as her knees buckled. Her arms went out, grasping for purchase and sending a folding chair toppling over as she crumbled to the ground.

"Lexi!" Roman shouted as he leaped over a chair that was in the way.

Edge had managed to catch her before her head hit the floor. "Move," Roman roared as he dropped to his knees and pulled her into his arms. "Sweetheart," he murmured as he gathered her close.

"Fucking move," Dean yelled and gave Edge a quick shove out of the way as Seth also dropped to his knees and shouted for someone to find Doctor Amman.

"I-I'm okay." Lexi lifted a shaky hand to her head.

"Like hell you are," Roman growled.

"No," she struggled against him, trying to sit up. "I'm fine."

"Lay still, God Damn it," he snapped.

His outburst didn't appear to phase her as she turned her head to look at him, her eyes glassy and unfocused. "Roman, I'm okay. I'm, just a little dizzy."

But he knew she wasn't okay. Her skin was pale and clammy and whether she knew it or not she was shaking. "Just lay still," he whispered as his fear coursed through him. What in the hell was wrong with her and was the baby okay?


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Dehydration," Doctor Amman announced as he wrapped his stethoscope around his neck. "exacerbated by exhaustion." He leaned over and adjusted the oxygen mask over Lexi's nose and mouth. "I'm gonna run an IV for while and get you rehydrated, then lots of rest and the less stress the better."

She nodded, then glanced at Roman. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze "So the baby is okay?"

Doctor Amman nodded. "The baby is great. Strong heartbeat. No signs of distress. Usually in situations like this, the mother is the one who takes the hits and the baby ends up unscathed. After all, a woman's body is designed to protect the unborn child, so it only makes sense that the little one is thriving while Lexi is the one falling apart."

With her free hand, Lexi pulled the oxygen mask off and frowned. "I am not falling apart," she argued.

Roman grabbed the mask and returned it to her face. "You lost the right to protest when you stopped taking care of yourself. So just hush before I decide to act on my desire to beat your ass."

She frowned at him and earned an arched brow in return that didn't seem to intimate her in the slightest. _Brat!_

"In all seriousness," Doctor Amman began. "I don't think you have anything to worry about, Roman. The baby is thriving and as long as Lexi does a better job of taking care of herself, they'll both be fine." He turned to face Lexi. "Consider this your wakeup call, young lady," he scolded. "As much as you might like to be, you are _not_ superwoman. Believe it or not, being pregnant does take a toll on your body. It does have limitations and you cannot take on all the tasks and stresses that you normally would."

Lexi stared at him for a moment before glancing at Roman. "I get it," she mumbled through the mask, then reached for Roman. "I'm sorry."

He smiled a he squeezed her hand. "You're forgiven, but be prepared to be hovered over, because from this point forward I'm not letting you out of my sight."

"That goes for me too," Dean said from where he stood near the door and Seth nodded in agreement. Inside, Roman was grinning from ear to ear. Dean and Seth loved Lexi like a sister and knowing his boys had his back felt great. Knowing it would eventually piss Lexi off to be watched and doted over 24/7 made him feel even better. She was about to find out just how much she was really loved and not just by him.

She looked from him to Dean and Seth, then over to Doctor Amman and nodded. "I understand."

Roman's inner smile faltered as his worry returned. The fact that she didn't even try to protest bothered him. Her temperament, he realized, was a double-edged sword. On one hand, he loved that spitfire personality that appeared to find joy in testing his patience and pushing his buttons. It made life with her interesting and fun. However, it was that same lack of personality right now that caused him concern.

"I'm gonna start the IV and monitor her for the next hour or two," Doctor Amman stated.

Roman nodded. "Good." He lifted her hand, pressed a kiss to it. "I have some business to take care of. You rest. I'll be back." Then glanced over his shoulder at Seth and Dean. "Stay with her. I'll be back soon."

"Bro? Where you going?" Seth called after him.

"Just stay with Lexi for me," Roman called as he flung open the door and walked out of the infirmary. It was time he did what he'd been wanting to do for weeks. It was time he protect his family.

It didn't take long for him to make his way to Hunter and Stephanie's office. Doing his best to remember his manners, Roman held his impatience in check as he raised a hand and knocked on the steel. He desperately wanted this over with so he could get back to Lexi. "Come," Hunter's muffled voice carried through the barrier and Roman opened the door.

Stephanie sat behind her desk with Hunter standing next to her, looking over her shoulder. She looked up and Roman noted the quick expression of shock that lit in her eyes before she schooled her expression into a more neutral tone. "Roman. What can I do for you?"

"You really want to know what you can do for me?" He snarled as his temper began peeking through the cracks in his armor. "You can kill this cheater storyline."

His reply earned a sigh from Stephanie. "Look, I know you guys aren't happy about this situation, but from time to time we all have to do things we don't like."

"This isn't just about not liking your suck ass storyline," Roman shot back.

"Hey," Hunter raised a hand. "Watch your attitude."

Frustrated and fighting to maintain his control, Roman raked a hand through his hair. "Sorry," he managed. "No disrespect meant, but even you have to admit that what happened to Lexi before should have some bearing on this situation. You need to cut this story."

Stephanie shook her head. "I understand what you're saying, but why in the world would we do axe this angle when creative believes it will be a big hit?"

"Because it's wrong," Roman replied. "And the stress of knowing what she'll face when it finally happens is taking a toll on Lexi."

Hunter made a face that said he thought Roman was over exaggerating. "Please. Lexi has to be one of the toughest, smartest diva's we have. She understands the way things work here. Even if she doesn't like it, she'll go along because she knows it's what's best for business."

Stephanie nodded. "Besides, we wouldn't have agreed to move forward with this, if we didn't think she could handle it."

"Really?" Roman leaned forward and placed his hands on the desk and let just a little more of his temper show. "Well let me tell you exactly how well Lexi is handling the stress. She's doing so well that she just collapsed in catering and had to be carried to the infirmary. She'd doing so well that Doctor Amman is treating her for dehydration and exhaustion. Now, do you_ still_ want to sit there and claim she can handle this?"

Shock crossed over Stephanie's face and she turned to look at Hunter then back to Roman. "The baby?"

"Is fine," Roman replied. "Thank God, but if this situations continues it may not stay that way."

"Is Lexi alright?" Hunter asked, his face a mask of concern.

Roman nodded. "Doctor Amman said she will be if she loses the extra stress and gets lots of rest." His gaze shifted between the power couple. "This pressure she's feeling from the cheater storyline ends now," he said. "You can fire me if you want. Fire Lexi if you want, but this angle is not moving forward." He shook his head. "Not when it's putting her and the baby jeopardy."

"No, of course not," Stephanie agreed."We don't want to make Lexi sick, and we'd never do anything to intentionally put your baby in danger, Roman."

Hunter nodded. "I agree. I know we're willing to do a lot of unsavory and questionable things for this company, but risking the life of an unborn child isn't one of them." He scraped a hand over his military short hair, glanced at Stephanie, then over to Roman. "I'll let creative know that the cheater storyline is off the table and they have to come up with something else, okay?"

Roman could feel the tension drain from his shoulders as he sank into the chair and nodded. "Thank you," he replied and was a little shocked by the amount of emotion in his voice. Hunter rounded the desk and placed a hand on Roman's shoulder. "I know what it feels like to worry about your wife and children, Roman. You're welcome."

Roman smirked as he thought about Lexi and how convinced she was that they'd fire him or both of them. "You know, Lexi has spent the better part of the last month trying to keep me out of your office. She had it in her head that if I came storming in here demanding that you drop the storyline you'd fire us."

Hunter gave him a small smile. "After what Vince did to her father and then the fallout with the whole kidnapping storyline I can understand why she might think that. However, we're not Vince." He motioned to Stephanie. "And _we_ of all people understand the need to protect family." Hunter shook his head. "I'll be the first one to admit that we'll stoop to some pretty low levels in order to grab ratings, but even we have our limits."

"Please tell Lexi I hope she feels better soon," Stephanie said. "And we'll let you know when we come up with an alternative story line for you guys.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Roman felt a hundred pounds lighter as he walked back to the infirmary. Now that Lexi was out of the crosshairs, no matter what stupid idea they came up with for The Shield's demise he had no doubt they'd all play along without complaint.

Now he'd just have to contend with Lexi's wrath for facing down Hunter and Stephanie. He grinned at that thought. Right now she wasn't in any position to be getting angry with him for much of anything. Of course that wouldn't stop her from making a fuss. That was okay though. If she made a fuss, then it would mean she was feeling better. He'd take her being argumentative and defiant over complacent any day.

He turned the corner and stopped at the sight of Edge standing outside the infirmary door with Dean blocking his path. Irritation skimmed the edges of his mind as he stalked toward them. What in the hell did _he_ want? The moment Edge spotted Roman he pushed off the wall and walked toward him. "There you are."

"Here I am," Roman replied even as he worked to reel in his anger.

Edge looked from Roman to Dean. "I tried to go in and see how Lexi was doing, but your guard dog here wouldn't let me pass. Would you mind calling him off, please?"

Roman stepped up so he and Dean stood shoulder to shoulder, then turned his bland gaze back to Edge. "Why should I?"

Edge sighed. "Look. Whatever your feelings are toward me, it doesn't change the fact that I'm concern about Lexi."

Roman arched a brow. "Really? Now you're concerned about her well being?" Roman exchanged an amused look with Dean before looking back at Edge. Then the smile he wore faded. "You wrecked her life and left her feeling as if she was half a woman. You disappear for nearly four years and now that she's finally put her life back together you come waltzing back in and try to destroy it again by reopening old wounds. You have a lot of fucking nerve."

Edge scrubbed his hands over his face. "I know you think I'm scum," he replied. Roman arched a brow, but otherwise remained silent as Edge continued. "And you'd be right. What I did to her is unforgivable. Thankfully, Lexi is a pretty incredible woman and somehow, even after everything that's happened, she's managed to find it in her heart to forgive me."

He pointed to Roman. "I'd bet her generous attitude has everything to do with you."

Curious by Edge's statement Roman cocked his head and asked. "Why?"

"Because you've managed to show her that not all men do what I did. You've been there for her, helping her deal with the mess I created. You've been able to reach through her pain and help her find herself again." Roman noted a sadness in the Edge's eyes as he spoke and despite wanting to hate the man, a small sliver of compassion found it's way to the surface. "She loves you," Edge continued. "When I spoke with her earlier I could see the joy in her eyes, the glow in her face, the way she said your name with such reverence and passion. There's no doubt in my mind that her heart belongs to you."

"Does that bother you?" Roman asked, more out of curiosity than for any other real reason.

"Maybe some," Edge admitted has he tucked his hands in his pockets. "But I'm also extremely happy for her. She's a great woman and deserves to be happy. I'm really glad she's been able to find that happiness with you."

Roman knew admitting such a thing took guts and a certain amount of humility and as much as he didn't want to, he respected Edge for being able to man up to him. He relaxed his stance, slid a sideways glance to Dean and nodded toward the door.

Taking the hint, Dean shot Edge a sneer then turned and slipped back into the room.

"Your pal there doesn't like me," Edge observed.

"Yeah, you're not a real popular person among our group," Roman admitted. "He thinks the world of Lexi and he doesn't like seeing her hurt anymore than I do."

Edge nodded. "Fair enough. So," he leveled a look at Roman. "Is Lexi and the baby okay?"

Roman nodded. "The baby is good and Lexi will be fine with a little rest."

"Good luck with that," Edge grinned. "She's a strong minded handful."

Roman broke into a smile. "Don't I know it." He extended a hand. "Hey, and I owe you a thanks for catching her earlier. You probably prevented her from being hurt a lot worse."

Edge accepted Roman's hand. "Any time." He paused a moment and Roman noted a quick flash of sadness in the man's eyes. "Take care of her," Edge finally said after a moment.

Roman nodded. "I intend to."

* * *

It was well after ten when Roman walked onto the tour bus. Their match had gone well, with him and Dean once again exchanging glares and tension at the end. He still wasn't thrilled with the idea of breaking up The Shield. It felt too soon, as if they were leaving unfinished business on the table, but he was trusting that management knew what they were doing. Hell, that's all he could really do anyway. He nodded to Amber who closed the book she was reading and pushed up from her seat. "How is she?"

"Resting," Amber replied and scooped up her coat. "She wasn't happy when I scolded her for making her own dinner and sent her back to bed." Amber smirked. "I mean I know it was only soup and a sandwich, but it was the principle of the issue."

"And she actually went back to bed?" Roman arched a curious brow.

Amber grinned. "She argued with me to start, but when I threatened to come find you, She relented. She went grumbling, but she did go back to bed."

Roman chuckled. "Nice work."

"Thanks." She nodded toward the door. "Seth waiting for me inside the arena?"

Roman nodded. "He said to meet them near the loading docks."

She stepped into Roman's path, gave him a quick hug, then headed for the door. He waited until she closed the door before he turned to look toward the bedroom and noted the quiet. Seth and Dean had made arrangements for them and the girls to stay a a hotel for the night. At least for this night, he was thankful for the space. His brow knit at the silence. Was Lexi was sleeping.

He stepped into the bedroom doorway and stopped. With her long dark hair loose and cascading down her shoulders, Lexi lay propped up on the bed, headphones on and Belly Buds over her exposed baby bump. Her eyes were closed, but he noted the ever so slight nod of her head. She wasn't sleeping, but he was just glad to see her resting.

Gently, so as not to scare her, he eased down on the edge of the bed. Her eyes fluttered open and an instant smile tipped her lips. "Hey." She pulled off her headphones. "How did it go?"

"Good," Roman nodded, "How you feeling?"

"Better," she replied. "I hate the idea of laying around and doing nothing, but I have to admit I do feel better."

Unable to avoid the temptation, he slid a hand over her baby bump. "How's little one doing?"

Lexi's smile turned soft as her gaze followed his hand to her belly. "Good I suppose. It's kinda hard to tell."

"Can you feel it moving yet?" he asked even as he wondered just what would it feel like to have another person inside you?

She nodded. "A little bit here and there." Her mouth thinned slightly. "I wish you could feel it."

He leaned forward and took her mouth in a soft kiss. "Me too." Then he stretched out across the bed and rested his head in what was left of her lap. "You know," he began as he took her hand in his and idly played with her fingers. "You scared ten years off my life today."

"I'm sorry," she replied. "I didn't even realize I was running myself down."

"That's because you're so damn stubborn," Roman replied.

She nearly giggled. "Look who's talking."

He smiled now. "Yes, but I'm not growing another person inside me." he replied.

"True." She leaned back and rested her head against the headboard For a moment they rested in companionable silence before he finally spoke again.

"I talked to Edge earlier," he said as he laced his fingers with hers.

"Oh? And he walked away in one piece?"

He thought about the conversation he'd had with her ex, remembering what he'd said about Lexi. "Yeah. After he caught you and prevented you from whacking your head, I thought it was only fair he keep all his limbs." He turned his head and looked up at her, noted the healthy color of her complexion and how the dark circles under her eyes didn't appear quite so prominent. "You know...I got the distinct impression that he still cares about you."

She nodded. "I got the same impression when I spoke with him earlier today." She nearly grimaced. "I actually found myself feeling bad for him."

"Why?"

"Because, while he might still care about me, my heart belongs to you now and it always will."

Roman shifted, pressed a soft kiss to her belly, then another up her mid section, then another between her breasts. He had this sudden insane urge to show her just how much he loved her. He mouthed a seductive trail along her breast bone and she sighed before she spoke again. "I realized something, when I was talking with him earlier today."

"What's that," Roman whispered against her jaw. He needed to stop. She wasn't in any condition for him to be coercing her for sex. But after everything that happened today, he was experiencing an overwhelming urge to reclaim what was his.

"I didn't feel anything," she replied, then gasped. "Unlike right now," she murmured. "God, Roman."

He grinned against her neck. "Nothing?"

"Nothing." She turned her head toward him, her mouth searching for his.

He nibbled along her bottom lip. "No regrets?"

Now it was her turn to grin as her arms wrapped around him. "None. I looked at him and thought of you." She nipped at his jaw. "Only you."

He groaned. "God, Lexi. I want you so bad right now," he admitted as he moved to suck on her earlobe.

"I'm yours Roman. Take me."

"But you're supposed to be de-stressing and relaxing."

"I can't think of a better way to de-stress," she replied as her nimble fingers gathered up his t-shirt. "And that after sex feeling is damn relaxing."

He paused just long enough to grin down at her. "Sweetheart, sometimes I really like the way you think."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The following Monday Lexi stood in Gorilla position with the guys and listened as creative and the show's producer went over the last minute details for the script they would act out later that night. Up to now she'd managed to keep her nerves in check. She'd done so by telling herself she needed to stay calm and relaxed for the baby. However, no amount of mental cajoling would work now, as her stomach churned with nerves. Tonight would be the night of The Shield's demise. Tonight would be the night when the WWE Universe turned on her. She placed a protective hand over her belly and fought back the need to cry. She could do this. She was strong, damn it. No, she might not be superwoman, but she could handle this situation and whatever fallout that came with it and would for Roman's sake. He had such a bright future with the company and she'd do anything to help make sure he succeeded.

"Okay," Cory, their producer clapped his hands together. "So here's how we envisioning this working." He pointed to Roman, Dean and Seth. "You three are going to be in the ring." He nodded to Lexi. "You're going to be waiting here in Gorilla with Amber. The Shield is going to lose the match tonight." He pointed to Dean. "You're taking the fall."

Dean nodded his response.

Cory glanced at Roman. "Then, frustrated by weeks of his big attitude and subsequent losses, you lose it on him."

"Got it," Roman murmured even as Cory continued.

"You and Dean start shoving each other around in the ring. It's at this point that Lexi is going to burst through the stage entrance and rush down to the ring." Cory paused and leveled a warning look at the guys. "Don't let your tempers get so out of control that you lose perspective, because Lexi is going to be in the ring and we don't need or want her getting hurt for real."

"We're not going to let anything happen to Lexi," Seth replied and earned a nod of approval from Cory.

He turned to Lexi. "You're job is to get between Roman and Dean and try to get them to stop. You remind them that they're a team, a unit that is united in one goal. You tell them that they shouldn't be fighting."

More than a little confused by the change in script Lexi nodded. "Okay," she replied drawing out the word until it sounded like a question. _What happened to the cheater story?_

"Dean," Cory continued on, apparently oblivious to Lexi's confusion. "It's at this point that you give Lexi a shove." He paused and held up a finger. "An easy shove, but you need to make it look hard."

Dean leveled a look at Cory that threatened violence. "Do you really think I'd do anything that might hurt her?"

Cory shook his head. "Of course not, but in the moment…"

"Just move on," Dean warned. "Before I beat you down for even thinking such a thing."

Roman and Seth both smirked, but Lexi knit her brow as she looked from man to man. What in the hell was going on here. None of this was how it had been explained to her when they'd decided on this storyline a few weeks ago.

"Lexi," Cory said and pulled her from her thoughts. "Now we need you to really sell the shove." He curled his hand into a fist for emphasis. "I mean really sell it. Put your arms out, act like you're going to lose your balance and fall backward into Roman. The shock of seeing you pregnant is going to have the crowd worked up already. So they'll probably gasp when Dean shoves you. Don't let it phase you."

Still scrambling to catch up with what was happening, she could only nod.

"Good," Cory murmured then continued. "Roman's gonna catch you, then turned you right into Seth's arm as he goes after Dean for shoving you. Roman will beat Dean down and leave him laying in the ring alone and you, Roman and Seth walk away. Thus The Shield's demise will be complete."

"Wait," Lexi held up a hand as she scanned the faces of the man. "I'm confused. What happened to the cheater storyline?"

Now it was Cory's turn to look confused. "What are you talking about? Management nixed the cheater angle it last week after your collapse. Didn't anybody tell you?"

_Nixed?_ Lexi's gaze cut to Roman. Guilt danced across his face and her blood instantly boiled. "You went to them, didn't you?" She turned and took a step toward him even as Seth and Dean both took a step back. "When I was dizzy and half out of sorts in the infirmary. I remember you saying that you needed to take care of some business and you left me with Seth and Dean."

Anger simmered just beneath the surface. He'd known for nearly a week that the story had been changed and he didn't tell her. She poked a finger at Roman's chest. "You went to management and demanded they pull this angle, even after I told you not to. I told you to leave it alone, that I could handle it."

"You couldn't handle it," Roman growled and his eyes flashed with something akin to anger. "That fucking storyline made you ill. It caused you to faint and damn near injure yourself."

"I told you-" She started to say only to have him bowl over her, his voice booming through the expanse of space. "I did what I needed to do to protect you," he shouted. "To protect our baby. They overstepped their authority by trying to force that damn angle on you and by God I wasn't going to let that happen."

"_You_ weren't going to let that happen," she challenged now. Her hormones raged as frustration exploded through her like a pipe bomb. "Just who in the hell do _you_ think you are making decisions for me without even talking to me about them first?"

"I'm the father of your child," he snapped. "I'm the man who loves you more than anyone else in the God damn world and I was protecting you."

"I don't need your protection," she shouted back. "I can protect myself. What I need is a partner who isn't going to treat me like I'm fragile glass ready to shatter at any moment. What I need is a partner who respects me enough to not make decisions about me, without talking to me about them first."

"I do respect you," he replied, his voice shaking with anger as he reached for her.

She shook her head and took a step back back in retreat. So what if she was being obstinate? As far as she was concerned she had every right to wallow in the anger and betrayal she felt. She lifted her hands in defense. "Don't." She shook her head a little harder when he took another step toward her.

"I mean it, Roman. You can't just make this go away with a hug." Feeling shaky and out of sorts, she raked a hand through her hair. "I need a few minutes...alone."

She noted the flash of hurt in his eyes and felt the sharp stab of guilt before she backed up, then turned and walked away.

"Lexi," Roman called after her, but she didn't look back. She couldn't. Hurt by what she saw as a lack of respect and angry he'd gone behind her back she continued to walk away. Right now her emotions were a jumbled mess and she needed a few minutes of alone time to figure it all out. She needed to get her head screwed on straight so when they finally did talk she could be reasonable and coherent in her points. In the meantime he'd just have to find a way to deal.


	19. Chapter 19

So I don't generally write the same scene from two different perspectives, but every once in a while I find it necessary. I believe this is one of those times.

* * *

Chapter 19

Lexi spent three long hours stewing over her fight with Roman. During that time she'd convinced herself she was right. Then she'd listen to Amber and Zoe both tell her that she was being unreasonable and had damn near kicked them out of the locker room for it. They didn't know how it felt to be betrayed like that by the men they loved. She'd stewed over that thought for awhile when something popped into her mind that before long had her rethinking her actions. At one point while trying to get a grip on her emotions, she asked herself what Doctor Moreno would say. That was when Doctor Moreno's statement about Lexi emasculating Roman stuck in her head.

Roman was a big guy, with an even bigger heart, but he was also very much the alpha male type. He was programed to protect those he loved. It was one of the reasons she'd been so attracted to him. She loved his confidence and protective nature. So why now was she so insistent to squash the very things she loved about him?

She'd consider that thought, even while she stood in Gorilla with Amber watching the monitor as The Shield's music played. Her heart pounded in her ears, mixing with the music until she thought she just might puke from the stress.

"Roman looks angry," Amber observed.

"That's because he is," Lexi replied, now wishing she hadn't taken quite so long analyzing their fight. While she'd come to the conclusion that she wasn't entirely wrong, but she wasn't entirely right either. Roman had a valid point when he said that the cheater storyline was making her ill. She had been sick recently and most of it had everything to do with her nerves.

While she still contended that he'd been wrong to go to management without telling her and he'd been wrong for not telling her after the fact, she'd been wrong too. She should have been open minded and considerate when it came to his feelings. After all, everything he'd done was because he'd had her best interest at heart.

Maybe if she hadn't been so proud, she could have found it within herself to apologize to him before the match started. Then maybe he wouldn't be quite so angry right now. Of course it was too late for that, but once the match was over, she would be sure to find him and apologize. Then maybe they could talk..

The match started and her pulse sped up. Even with the script change she was dreading what was coming. On the screen Dean was taking some serious punishment from Jimmy, yet Roman was staring at the stage, his focus obviously not on the match.

Why wasn't he concentrating on the match?

"Roman seems distracted," Amber observed.

Lexi gave Amber's statement a slow nod as she watched Dean tag him in. Hopefully now that he was actually in the match he'd focus and he could make quick work of his cousin. While she didn't want to see the match end she also needed to end so she and Roman could talk. The faster he put the Uso's away, the faster that could happen.

* * *

Roman had no problem looking pissed off and intimidating as he made his way through the crowd toward the ring. As of the moment Raw went live he still hadn't spoken with Lexi. The only way he knew she was okay we because Amber and Zoe told him.

He known she was going to react badly to the news about the change in storyline. Maybe that was part of the reason why he'd put off telling her. Still, he hadn't fully anticipated the blowback his actions would cause.

He jumped the barrier, assessed his opponents. His cousins Jimmy and Jey stood next to CM Punk inside the ring, waiting. Roman enjoyed working with his cousins. They would put on one helluva match with Jimmy and Jey. They always did. A small part of him was sad knowing after tonight that chemistry between the teams would end. Since he and Seth would be turning face there would be no need to fight against the Uso's in the future.

He climbed onto the apron and slid into place in what was usually Seth's spot. Seth shot him a perplexed look, then without a word, climbed up on the opposite side as Dean slipped between the ropes into the ring for the start of the match. Within seconds of the bell ringing, Dean took a clothesline from Jimmy and smacked the mat, immediately popped to his feet and repeated the process, setting up a quick back and forth that had the crowd cheering. Roman's attention drifted from the ring to the empty stage as this thoughts turned back to Lexi.

He wondered if she was still mad at him and he felt the frown that crawled across his face. Damn it! Why couldn't she see that what he'd done was for her own good? If she wanted to act like a spoiled brat that was fine, but this wasn't just about her anymore and by God she needed to see that.

Seth smacked him on the shoulder, pulling Roman from his thoughts. "Hey, you with me?"

"What?" Roman glanced at him. "Uh...yeah." He raked a hand through his loose, wet hair.

Seth frowned. "Dude. I know you're upset about Lexi, but you need to try and focus."

Roman nodded. "I know. Sorry."

"It's okay." Seth patted him on the shoulder a split second before Dean tagged Roman in. Needing to purge some of his pent up anger, Roman plowed through Jey, giving him a clothesline that damn near decapitated him. Jey hit the mat hard and apparently stunned stayed down for a moment. Roman cursed himself and barely resisted the urge to apologize. He needed to fucking focus before somebody got hurt.

When Jey finally got to his feet he shot Roman a quick 'what the fuck' look, then immediately began pounding on him. Roman accepted the first few blows as payback for being overly aggressive, but it didn't take long for his patience to disappear. He fought back, plowed into the Uso's corner and took out Jimmy and Punk before going back after Jey.

Then match broke down quickly after that and within seconds all the men were in the ring pounding on each other. Roman bounced against the ropes and braced himself as Jey flipped him over the top and out of the ring. He hit the mats in front of the announce table with a thud, took a moment to shake off the sting, then climbed back onto the apron. He'd just straightened up when Jimmy hit him with a dropkick that sent Roman flying backwards off the apron a second time. Only this time pain bloomed as his head hit the corner of the announce table, then the blackness swallowed him.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Lexi jerked in response the moment Roman hit the table. She froze, her eyes trained on the monitor, watching. As far as she knew this wasn't part of the script. Unless they'd changed it within the last three hours and hadn't told her.

The cameraman zoomed in on Roman. His head lolled to the side, his eyes were closed and he didn't move. Lexi's heart sped up as the slow slide of panic began to take hold. Seth rolled from the ring, moved in to check on Roman. He shook the big man, yelled into his face, then reached down and slid a hand behind Roman's head.

He pulled back, looked perplexingly at his glove, then as if some sort of realization struck, Seth stripped off his gloves and repeated the process. This time when he pulled his hand away, it was red and Lexi braced herself against the table as a gasp tore through her.

Seth's arms immediately went up to form an X and he yelled over his shoulder to the timekeeper to stop the match. Before the man had time to ring the bell Lexi bolted toward the stage entrance.

"Lexi," she could hear Amber call after her the same time she burst through the curtain. The moment she hit the stage a roar ripped through the crowd. She ignored them, her attention only focused on what was happening on the far side of the ring.

As she rounded the steps, Seth spotted her, his panicked eyes widening. He shouted to Dean who turned, then stepped into her path. His arms snaked around her midsection, holding her. "Lexi, wait."

"Roman," his name tumbled from her lips on a choke even as she tried to pull away from Dean.

"Oh My God, King, it's Lexi Hart," Michael Cole's voice reached her ears.

"It's is Lexi and Michael I do believe she's pregnant," King replied.

She glanced at them now as a quick realization set in that she'd just revealed herself to the WWE Universe. Her gaze immediately cut from the announcers to where Seth knelt over Roman. She watched as Doctor Amman and his team slid to a stop in front of her, dropped to their knees and began assessing him.

Her breathing hitched and his name came out on a whisper. _What if he was seriously hurt?_

"Lexi," Dean's gravelly voice barely penetrated the panic swirling through her head. "Lexi, look at me."

She turned her head now and stared blankly into Dean's face. "He's gonna be okay. You need to believe that. You need to stay calm," he encouraged. She started to turn, to look back down at Roman, but Dean lifted a hand to her head, holding her in place. "Honey, I need to know you're not going to lose it. I know you're scared, but you have to stay calm and rational for the baby."

Despite the fear raging through her, somewhere within herself she felt a shift, then surprisingly a growing strength. Dean was right, she needed to stay strong. Slowly she nodded, afraid that if she tried to speak that newfound strength would escape.

"Yeah," Dean replied, his eyes assessing her. "You good?"

She sucked in a ragged breath and nodded a second time.

"That's a girl," Dean praised, then shifted her against him so her head rested against his shoulder, his arm wrapped protectively around her side. "He's gonna be okay," Dean all but whispered against her hair. "You believe that. He's gonna be fine."

She felt the press of his lips against her temple, gave him a small nod of acknowledgement, then turned her attention to where Seth was helping Doctor Amman and his team roll Roman onto a backboard. One of the trainers held a now bloody towel to the back of Roman's head. She shuddered at the sight then began to gnaw on her bottom lip. She'd been in the business long enough to know that blood alone wasn't necessarily an indication that the injury was too serious, but blood combined with unconsciousness upped those odds considerably.

Despite her best efforts to remain calm, a tear broke free and trickled down her cheek. She wouldn't become hysterical. Nothing productive would come from her being hysterical, but damn it, this wasn't supposed to happen. If she'd sought him out and apologized earlier, he would have been focused on the match. In a way it was her fault he was hurt. The words she'd slung at him earlier had obviously wounded him, distracted him, and now…

Another ragged breath tore from her and she felt Dean's arm tighten around her. "Easy, honey," he murmured.

Doctor Amman glanced around at his team. "We ready?" Everyone nodded, then on the count of three, they lifted Roman up and onto the stretcher. She reached for him now, her hand grazing over his. It was a small gesture only meant to let him know she was there and she was sorry.

Her hand slipped off his as they began to wheel the strether away. Seth moved in next to her, curled a finger beneath her chin, forcing her to focus on him. "You good?" he asked and she noted how his eyes held that same concerned appearance Dean's did.

For the first time she realized just how lucky she was to have these men in her life. They were her family and no matter what happened with Roman, they would be there for her. That thought provided a tiny measure of comfort and she lifted a shaky hand to wrap it around his wrist. "Yeah," she finally managed to murmur. "But I'll be a lot better once we know Roman's going to be okay."

He gave her answer a small smile, then turned and began to walk out of the ring area. Still leaning on Dean, she followed.

With the RAW cameras hovering, she, Amber, Zoe and the boys waited outside the trainers room. Except for the low rumble of the crowd and the occasional roar indicating something interesting had happened in the ring, silence hung heavy in the air. Hunter leaned against the far wall, his face a mask of concern as he too waited.

She could feel Dean and Seth's eyes watching her, gauging her stress level, her ability to keep it together. Surprisingly, she seemed to be carrying an odd calm inside her as she waited. The fact that she wasn't a hysterical mess almost bothered her. What kind of fiance was she not to be an emotional wreck after the man she loved was injured?

She leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. She was a fiance who had finally managed to find the faith she needed to believe in miracles, to believe that she didn't need to keep people at arm's length in order to protect herself from getting hurt. Because, she realized, those she did let close would never intentionally hurt her.

Right now she was going to be strong for her man, because she knew its what he would want her to do. No matter what was happening on the other side of that door. No matter how injured he might be or what obstacles their future might hold, she would remain calm and strong. Not for him, but for their baby. Nothing, not even Roman mattered more than their child.

The door squeaked opened, causing Lexi to push off the wall she'd been leaning on. Doctor Amman emerged. "He's awake and coherent," he said as his gaze landed on Lexi. "I stitched up the wound on the back of his head, but I'm sending him on to the hospital for evaluation and overnight observation."

The sudden flood of relief that swamped her nearly brought Lexi to her knees. She sighed heavily and managed a small smile. "Can I see him first?"

Doctor Amman nodded and held open the door. "I expected you would want to. Go on in."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The moment Lexi stepped inside the room she nearly lost what was left of her composure. The sight of Roman laying on the exam table, dried blood in his long hair and a glazed look in his eyes had her reeling. She moved next to the table, and stroked a soft hand through his hair. "Hi," she whispered.

He blinked and stared at her or moment before lifting a hand to touch her face. "I'm sorry."

It pained her that his first thought after such a scary event was to apologize to her. As far as she was concerned, at this point he had nothing to apologize for. A sob ripped from her, powerful and shocking. "Me too. God I'm so sorry. This is my fault."

Using his thumb, he wiped the tear from her cheek. "No baby. This was an accident."

"But if I'd apologized-"

"It probably would have happened anyway," Roman cut her off.

She sighed at his statement, looked him over. "I was so scared."

He gave her a slight grin. "Now you know how I felt last week when you collapsed right in front of me."

Through her tears she managed to smirk at his statement. "I suppose I do."

"Excuse me, Lexi," Doctor Amman called from the doorway. "We're ready to move him."

"No." Roman gave a slight shake of his head. "Doc, I already told you that I'm not going to any damn hospital." Before the words were completely out of Roman's mouth he was pushing himself up. She placed a hand on his chest and he paused.

"Oh yes you are," she challenged.

"Lexi," his sigh was heavy.

She shook her head. "Nope. Don't you dare Lexi me. If that was me laying on that table, you'd have my ass hauled off to the hospital despite my objections."

"True," Roman mumbled.

"And if that was Seth or Dean laying there you'd make sure they went for assessment, right?"

"Right," Roman replied.

"So just because you think you're Superman doesn't mean you are and you're damn well going to get checked out."

His brow arched at her statement. "Superman?"

She grinned now and leaned forward, brushed a soft kiss to his lips. "Well...maybe you are my Superman, but remember, this isn't just about you anymore either. I need you healthy, Roman. I need you healthy for me and the baby, so yes you are going."

His hand snaked through her hair, holding her in place. "If I agree to go, when I get out, will you be my nurse and take care of me?"

She giggled now. "I'm not wearing Nikki's naughty nurse outfit if that's what you're asking," she said remembering how Nikki had told her all about how she'd dressed up for John after his surgery. Lexi was glad to see the Bellas had found loves of their own. They'd become so much easier to get along with now that each of them were in love.

Roman stuck his bottom lip out in a pout. 'Why not?" he asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Because-" She grinned. "With this belly, it wouldn't fit."

He lowered his hand to her belly, held it there. His glassy eyes took on a soft look. "Everything okay with little one?"

"Everything is fine," Lexi replied. "And it will be a lot better for both of us when we know for sure that Daddy is one hundred percent."

* * *

Lexi pushed open the bedroom door with her hip, careful not to spill the bowl of soup she balanced on the tray. They'd been home for three days and she knew Roman was slowly going stir crazy. Doctor's orders kept him from working out, driving, playing video games or watching television. He wasn't do to any activity that could stimulate his brain for at least a few days. Much to his disappointment that also meant sex was off limits.

Getting him to stay in the darkened bedroom hadn't been easy either and she'd been thankful when his family came to help. However, they weren't there now and she knew Roman was feeling as cranky as a petulant child. "I have your lunch," she whispered into the dimly lit room.

Roman pushed up and rested his back against the padded headboard. "Good. I'm starving."

She set the tray on his lap, gave him a quick kiss then turned to leave. "Stay." His single word sounded more like a plea than a command yet still caused Lexi pause.

She turned back to him. "You're supposed to rest."

He spooned up a spoonful of the soup. "I'm sick of resting. I want some company." With his free hand he patted the spot on the bed next to him. "Come, sit. Stay awhile and talk to me."

Unable to resist his request, she crawled onto the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"My head still hurts a little," he replied then slurped down some more of the soup. "It's not as bad as yesterday though, so I'm pretty sure I'm getting better."

"Are you still getting dizzy or having any nausea?" She watched him, studying his actions with an eagle eye.

"No." He paused and looked over at her. "That constant nausea is a bitch. I don't know how you managed to still wrestle when you felt like you were going to puke all the time." There was a respect to his voice that had her grinning. It wasn't too often that a man could truly understand even an inkling of what a woman when through when she was pregnant.

"You know," she said, deciding to change the subject. "Stephanie called this morning."

"Oh?" he paused over his soup and cut a quick glance in her direction.

"She wanted to know how you were feeling." Lexi continued. "She also wanted to tell me the latest news."

"Which is?" He arched a brow.

"We are trending."

"We're what?" He frowned, as his still injured brain apparently struggled to understand.

"Apparently damn near from the moment I appeared on camera Monday night the WWE Universe has been talking about us. Stephanie said the Twitter and Facebook pages have been blowing up with fans talking about our situation." She shot him a small smile. "With the exception of a small group of detractors, apparently the WWE Universe is giddy over the news of our pregnancy. And," she continued. "Because of the way Dean and Seth handled me Monday night, fans are now in love with The Shield. Stephanie said the event added a new layer of depth to you guys and the fans are eating it up. They've decided not to break you guys up right now, after all."

"Really?" Roman grinned and set his empty bowl back on the tray, then set the tray aside. "Well that's some good news."

Lexi nodded in agreement as relief flowed through her. "It is."

"So," he asked. "What are the fans saying?"

Lexi shrugged. "There's a lot of well wishes for you getting better, but then quite a few fans want to know when we're getting married. Some are asking if we know if we're having a boy or girl and where they can mail gifts to."

Roman's brow winged up in surprise. "No shit!"

Lexi nodded. "Yeah. I told Stephanie that we needed to make a statement about that, thanking the fans for their support and if they want to buy the baby something, to instead make a donation to one of the WWE sponsored charities in the baby's name."

Roman slid down the bed, turned and rested his head in her lap, a position she'd come to realize was his favorite because it put him closer to their baby. "And what name should the WWE Universe use?" he asked. "Especially since we don't know if it's a boy or girl and haven't even discussed names."

Lexi shrugged. "I hadn't thought of that. I guess for the fans it could be as simple as Baby Reigns."

Roman took her hand, toyed with her fingers. "But what about for us? What are you thinking for names?"

Unable to resist running her free hand through his hair, Lexi, laced her finger through his curls. "I'm not sure. Whatever it is we need to both agree."

"Speaking of agreeing," he started. "I'm sorry about our fight the other day."

_Well wasn't that a smooth segue?_ "Me too," she replied as she stared down at him. He was so freaking handsome with his olive skin and deep piercing eyes. She loved the way the hard angles of his face were softened by his goatee and framed by his hair. How in the world had she gotten so damn lucky that he'd falling in love with her she'd never know.

Gently he lifted her shirt to expose her baby bump, then rubbed a gentle hand over her flesh. "You were right, you know," he said idly, as if the conversation they were having was no big deal. "I should have talked to you first or at least told you about it after the fact. I promise not to do that again, okay."

She grinned and wasn't sure if it was from his admission or the way he caressed her belly. "Okay, and I promise not to get angry when you try to protect me."

He smiled. "I have a hard time believing you'll be able to pull that off."

She giggled. "Me too, but I'm definitely going to try. I don't ever want you to feel as if I'm stifling your alpha instincts."

"Alpha instincts?" His brow winged up. "I like that description."

"I knew you would." She paused as a sudden, nearly overwhelming wave of emotion broke over her. "I love you, so much," she whispered.

"I love you too, sweetheart."

She toyed with his hair for a moment. "I've been thinking. You know how we couldn't keep the wedding date because of the pay per view?"

"Yeah," he replied, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"Well I was talking to your mom yesterday and she thinks she can pull off putting the wedding together by the end of May. So if you're okay with it it, I'd like to get married Memorial weekend."

In an instant his eyes danced with joy as an easy grin slid across his face. "I think Memorial day is perfect."

She nodded. "Good. I've given your mom instructions for the only things I truly care about."

"Which would be?" he asked.

"Colors, I want my colors to be black and white. I want a red velvet wedding cake and I want a real band instead of a DJ and I don't want fish as my dinner Oh and I'll pick out my dress, but the rest is up to them."

He smirked. "You're pretty much giving my mother and sister free reign over our wedding. I hope you're prepared for what you might get."

Lexi started to reply that she wasn't worried when a sudden movement from her belly had her gasping in shock. Roman's eyes widened nearly as fast as his grin. He lifted off her lap, and stared down at her belly. "Was that what I think it was?"

The look of astonishment on his face had joy flowing through her. "It was."

His awe'd expression morphed into one of absolute happiness as his eyes met hers. "I finally felt the baby kick."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

It was all hands on deck the week leading into Wrestlemania and Lexi felt like she was in a never ending tornado of press conferences, signings and photo shoots. She'd never received so many well wishes and congratulations in her life. Fans peppered her with questions and she was repeatedly asked by her little fans if they could touch her belly. It truly amazed her how supportive the fans could be.

She was grateful to see Roman also receive that kind of support. Despite being a heel in the company, some how he'd gotten over with the fans and she'd caught herself watching him more than once as Roman signed pictures, shook hands and reassured fan after fan that he was well on his way to recovery.

Not one to miss a ratings opportunity, Stephanie arranged several private meet and greets for The Shield including Lexi. Then just when she'd thought it couldn't get any stranger, Stephanie had her and Roman sat down with a columnist for WWE Magazine who asked them to chronicle their story to him.

She was still trying to understand why anyone would care as she stood with Roman in front of the WWE Magazine photographer and awaited instructions. Much to her surprise it seemed that their real life love story interested the fans more than creatives storyline.

"Why exactly did Stephanie order this photo shoot?" Lexi asked as she allowed the photographer to arrange her.

He had Roman move in behind her, then the photographer stepped back to assess. "You two are the feature story for the June edition of the magazine. It only makes sense that you be on the cover."

Shocked, she cut her attention from the photographer to Roman who, by the look on his face shared her surprise. "We're going to be on the cover of WWE Magazine?"

The photographer nodded. "Now, Roman. I want you to slip your arms around Lexi's waist and rest your hands over her belly."

Roman did as the photographer instructed. "Great. Now Lexi turn to face him and Roman you place your hands on her belly."

Two hours later she sat with her feet up, watching some of the NXT upstarts showcase their talents for the crowd. Roman handed her a bottle of water and sat. "Can I ask you a question?"

She twisted off the cap. "Sure."

"How do you feel about being showcased because of the baby?"

Lexi pulled a long drink of water, then shrugged as she replaced the cap. She'd been thinking about that same subject ever since she learned about the magazine cover. "Honestly, I'm not sure. I know this is all about ratings and money." She rolled her eyes and frowned. "Everything they do has to do with ratings and money."

Roman nodded. "Still, I'm not sure I like the idea of them focusing so much of their attention on the baby and not us." He leaned back in the seat. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I'll take this over what they were planning, but still...it feels as if they're exploiting the baby."

"That's exactly what they're doing, but there's not much we can do right now to stop it." She shrugged. "We are under contract and obligated to a certain degree to follow orders."

Roman pursed his lips. "Yeah, I know. And since this time nothing they're doing is going to harm you or the baby it's not like we have grounds to stop it."

"True," Lexi agreed. "But if you think about it, what real harm can it do right now? I mean I'm not sure I want want our pictures on the covers of the magazine or cameras following us around after the baby is born, but then they won't have that ability either. The baby won't be under contract, so they won't have any rights to it."

"Yeah," Roman toyed with his water bottle "I suppose you're right, but I think we'll probably need to revisit the subject once the baby is born."

Lexi nodded. "Absolutely." She cocked her head to the side and for a moment simply studied him. Something was bothering her man. Something more than just this baby issue. "What else bothering you?"

"What makes you think something else is bothering me?" he challenged.

She leveled her best 'don't try and bullshit me' look on him and he sighed. "Okay. I'm just a little frustrated because I'm missing Wrestlemania."

"Because of your concussion," she said, already knowing the answer.

He nodded. "Doctor Amman won't clear me to wrestle on Sunday. He said I'm not ready yet. So Dean and Seth will be wrestling in a regular tag match."

"You can at least be at ringside, right?"

He shook his head. "Management doesn't believe I could be at ringside and not somehow end up involved and injured worse."

While she'd dreamed of performing in a Wrestlemania, with the way management viewed the Diva's division she never got her hopes up for it. Still, that didn't mean she couldn't understand how he felt. A small part of her was glad Doctor Amman hadn't bent the rules for Roman simply because of the fact that it was Wrestlemania. No matter how upset he was, his health came first. Still, that didn't mean she liked seeing him upset either. "Do you want to leave? We've completed our obligations. We could head back home and work on the baby's room or help your family work on the wedding plans."

He smiled at her in that way that always made her feel as if she was the most important person in his life. "I love you for thinking of me, but management wants me to dress for the match and walk out with Dean and Seth, so as to show my solidarity to them. When we do our stop to assess the crowd, we're to fist bump and then I turn back and leave them to it."

Lexi frown at the sadness in his voice. "All dressed up and no place to go."

"Exactly," Roman mumbled and Lexi could feel her heart hurt for him.

* * *

Energy coursed through the stadium and because of it Roman's mood was foul. Damn it, he'd had a taste of what it was like to perform on the grandest stage of them all and it pissed him off that he was missing it now. They'd won last year and he wanted to feel the glory of that win again. He frowned as he waited in position with Seth and Dean and could feel their gazes on him. "What?"

Seth shook his head. "Nothing, bro. Just concerned about you. I know this can't be easy."

Roman nearly sneered at his friend. "It's nothing I can't handle."

Dean smirked. "Now you're starting to sound like Lexi. Look we know you're upset and we just want you to know that it's okay. You don't have to act like everything hunky dory just for us. We get it is all."

Before Roman could reply Special Ops began to blare through the arena. He stepped out into the cheering crowd, followed Dean and Seth to the first landing, fist bumped then remained in place and watched for a moment as they continued on through the cheering crowd without him.

Ten minutes later he walked back into their dressing room and slammed the door. With worry in her eyes, Lexi stood and approached him. Funny, he mused, how she was the only one on the planet who wasn't afraid to approach him when he was in a bad mood.

"I'm sorry," she whispered and slid her arms around him.

He flipped his wet hair out of the way and slipped an arm around her, holding her against him. "I'm a big boy, Lexi. I'll get through this and be okay."

"I know," she murmured against his combat vest. "I just hate seeing you so unhappy." She turned her head, leaned in a little more and pressed a soft kiss on his chest. Then she landed another near his collar bone. "Though I do have and idea that might distract you for a little while."

He arched a brow and guessing he knew where she was headed, damn near gave her a grin. "What would that be?"

"Why don't you come out to the tour bus and I'll show you," she whispered against his ear, her voice was low and seductive and had him hardening in a matter of seconds.

He lowered his head, captured her mouth in a kiss that sent his libido into overdrive. "Let me just get changed," he said as he pulled back.

"No." Her voice was firm as she curled her fingers into his vest, preventing him from moving.

Confused, he frowned down at her. "Why?"

"Because, I love seeing you in your ring gear," she whispered as she bit at his lip. "You're all mysterious and dangerous. It's sexy as hell and totally turns me on."

Now he did grin and slowly backed her toward the lockers. "You've never told me that before." She shot him a wry smile, looking up at him from beneath seductive lashes. "It's a girl thing. You know that saying how girls always want the bad boy."

He pressed a knee between her legs, pinning her in place as he slid a hand along her side, up and over her baby bump to cup her breast. "And I'm your bad boy?"

"You're my everything," she replied then pulled his head toward her and took his mouth in a kiss that threatened to take Roman out at the knees.

Desire rolled through him like a runaway locomotive and bracing against the wall with one hand, he released her breast and trailed the other lower. He snaked beneath the elastic of her maternity pants, then beneath her panties. She widened her stance for him as he slipped two fingers between her folds. A growl tore from him as he found her slick with arousal.

"God, you're so damn wet, baby."

"I'm wet for you," she whispered against his neck. "Only you."

He'd been struggling to retain the beast within. The one he called on to wrestle. Now he could feel it fighting for freedom, demanding to be sated. Gentle, he reminded himself even as he released the beast. He still needed to be gentle. "I hate to tell you this, sweetheart, but we're not making it back to the tour bus."

* * *

_I'm sorry...I know this was kind of an uneventful Chapter and more filler than anything, but it was necessary to propel the story forward. I hope you guys don't mind too much and I promise things will get more eventful for them soon. :)_


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 22

Lexi stared absently at the racks of wedding gowns and sighed. She'd put this off for as long as she could and with the wedding now a month away, she could no longer put it off.

"Oh for Christ sake, Alexandra, don't look so terrified," her mother scolded. "They're just dresses."

"They're not just dresses, mom," Lexi replied and looked to her future mother-in-law for help. Roman's mom simply smiled and patted her on the shoulder. Yep, no help there. Then she turned and glanced over her shoulder at Roman's sister Alyssa who also grinned, but remained quite.

Her mother had been a little upset when she learned that Lexi turned over control of the wedding to her future mother-in-law. In order to appease her, Lexi promised to include her in wedding dress shopping. With just a little over three months until the baby was due, she was really showing and no dress was going to look right.

On a sigh Lexi stepped into the store and prepared for an afternoon of frustration and confrontation.

An hour into their bid to find the perfect dress, Lexi stepped out of the dressing room and frowned even as her mother clasped her hands together in glee. "Oh, Alexandra, it's beautiful."

"It is," Lexi sighed as she turned one way and then the other, assessing it in the mirror. "If I wasn't going to be two and a half months away from giving birth and I was having a big formal wedding."

Her mother's smile faded. "You've rejected every dress I've picked out."

"Mom, please understand, you're pushing me toward long sleeve, big formal gowns when we're having a garden wedding in spring. I want something summerish and light weight. Something that will flow and compliment my baby bump."

Alyssa stood. "Do you have your heart set on pure white?"

Lexi snorted. "Not really. Why?"

"Because I saw a dress that might be perfect." Excitement danced in her eyes. "Let me go get it and I'll meet you in the dressing room."

Figuring she had nothing to lose, Lexi agreed then headed back to the dressing room. She'd just closed the door when a powerful and unexpected pain had her doubling over. She grasped her belly and gasped. The pain faded nearly as quickly as it came, but it didn't erase the shock or apparently the stunned expression on her face. Alyssa walked into the room with the dress, stopped and frowned. "What's wrong?"

Lexi shook her head as she experimentally toyed with the idea of trying to stand up straight. "I'm not sure. I don't know that anything is wrong."

"But?" Alyssa prompted and Lexi watched with some interest as her future sister-in-law slid from friend mode into nurse mode.

"I took a pain." Lexi rubbed at the spot on her belly.

"What kind of pain?" Alyssa asked even as she took Lexi by the hand and led her to the bench to sit. "Did it feel like a fist gripping your belly?"

Lexi shook her head. "It felt more like a quick stab. It was localized and gone nearly as quick as it came."

Alyssa's brow knit as her lips thinned. "Have you experienced it before?"

"No," Lexi replied. "This is a first."

"Hmmm… It could be nothing more than the baby giving you a good kick. From what I've heard from other expectant moms the little ones can really get some good punches in."

"So I shouldn't be worried?"

"I'm not sure," Alyssa replied. "I don't think it's anything to worry about just yet, but if the pain persists then you need to have it checked out."

Lexi nodded. "Okay. Thanks, Alyssa."

Alyssa squeezed her hand. "What are sisters for." She pointed to the dress she brought in. "You feel like trying on that?"

Lexi studied the flowing white gown, noted the black halter straps, black band just below the breasts and the black beading at the bottom and grinned. "Absolutely, but I guarantee my mother is going to hate it."

Later, Lexi sat in the restaurant with her mother and soon to be in-laws, discussing the wedding. She'd had another of those pains in the car, but it also went away quickly and she hadn't wanted to ruin their day by bringing up something that might be nothing.

"So," her mother began. "You're really not going to find out what you're having?"

Lexi frowned as she stared down into her glass of sprite. She'd already had this argument with her mother and really didn't feel like rehashing it again. "We've already established that I'm having a baby."

Her mother nearly sneered. "Don't you get smart with me young lady."

"Well that's what you get for hounding me," Lexi shot back. "We've been over this already."

"Yes, yes...I know." Her mother waved hand in the air. "But I can't believe you would deny your family the right of knowing. After all, you have the technology available to find out and it will make life much easier if we don't have to guess." She turned to look at Alyssa. "You work in her doctor's office, don't you know?"

Alyssa held up her hands in defense. "Even if I did know, which I don't, due to patient privacy issues I can't tell."

Lexi's mother huffed. "This is ridiculous. Back when I was pregnant with you and your siblings technology wasn't was it is today. The doctors couldn't always tell and when they did many times they were wrong. I just don't understand why you wouldn't want to know."

Lexi slapped the table, drawing attention to them. "Enough, mom. Roman and I decided we wanted to be surprised. This might be the only child we get and I'm already being denied the birthing experience because of concerns my doctor has. I won't let you take this away from us too." She pushed up from the table. "Get over it already."

"Alexandra," her mother called as Lexi walked away. "Where are you going?"

"To the bathroom if you must know," she called over her shoulder, then quickly made her way to the ladies room. She slipped inside an empty stall, closed the door and leaned back against it. This was why she'd dreaded the idea of going dress shopping. It seemed that her mother never quite knew when enough was enough.

Deciding to take the time to relieve herself before she returned to the table, Lexi turned and pulled down her maternity pants and her heart nearly stopped the moment she spotted the blood stain. _Oh God!_


	24. Chapter 24

_So, I just received word from my editor tonight, that I will have line edits heading my way the day after Christmas. Which means this story will need to be done by then or I will have to abandon it for a little while. Since it's all but pouring out of me, I want to try and finish it before the edits show up, so I don't leave you all hanging and I'll then be able to fully focus on my edits. So I will hopefully be putting up several chapters over the next couple of days. Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 23

Roman had been hanging with is father and brother at his parent's house when gotten the terrified call from his mother. Time seemed to stand still as he'd rushed out of the house, jumped in the car and headed for Lexi's OBGYN's office. Now he burst through the door and raced toward the front desk. The women in the waiting room stared, some of them intrigued, others appeared frightened by his appearance. He didn't care what they thought of him. He only cared about finding Lexi.

The receptionist looked up from behind the desk and her eyes widened at the sight of him. "I'm Ro-" He caught himself. While he'd pretty much adopted being Roman Reigns and went by the name 24/7, here he was known by his real name. "Uh, I'm Joseph. Joseph Anoai. I'm Alyssa's brother and Lexi Hart's fiance."

The look in receptionist's eyes went from wary to understanding and she nodded to the door on Roman's left. "Come through that door and I'll take you to Miss Hart."

Roman stepped through the door and was half way down the long hallway when Alyssa emerged from a room to his right. She grabbed Roman by the hands, stopping him. "She's okay," she said before he had a chance to speak. I told mom not to call you until we were sure of what was going on."

"Mom was right to call me," Roman grumbled.

"Yes, but you're all upset now. I don't want you going in there and letting Lexi see you like this. It will just make her more upset."

"She's upset? Why is Lexi upset if she's supposedly okay?" Frustrated he raked a hand through his hair. "Damn it, Alyssa, what in the hell is going on?"

Alyssa pulled him out of the way of a nurse guiding a patient down the hallway. "Lexi had a couple of random pains. I wasn't concerned at first. It's typical for the baby to cause discomfort with kicks and punches as it moves."

"But?" Roman urged knowing there was more.

"But she discovered that she was bleeding."

He felt the sick slide of panic ooze through him as he looked down at his sister. He realized a moment later that he must have reflected that panic when she raised her hands to his chest. "Relax, Joe. I promise you that she's okay and the baby's okay. It was just a small amount of blood. Spotting really, but combined with the pain it was bothersome enough that I wanted her checked out so I called the office and told them I was bringing her in."

"The baby's okay?" Roman repeated, hoping by saying the words it would help to alleviate his panic.

Alyssia nodded. "The baby is fine. Doing great actually."

"So why the blood?" he asked.

"Doctor Petrucci did an ultrasound and discovered that she's having a small issue with area around her scar tissue. He believes that it's probably a combination of the uterus stretching and stressing the area and the baby repeatedly kicking the same spot."

Roman shook his head. "I'm sorry, sis, but that doesn't sound like nothing."

"Okay, well, it's not nothing, but it's also not as serious as it sounds He's going to want her on bed rest for a little while to see if the irritated spot will heal on it's own."

"And if it doesn't?" he asked.

Alyssa frowned. "If it doesn't then it will be hospitalization and close monitoring until the baby is born. There's also an outside chance the baby might have to be delivered early."

Roman stared blankly at Alyssa as he felt his world slowly crashing down around him. He could be forced to be away from Lexi during her last trimester. There was a possibility that the baby might be at risk. "Exactly how is that nothing?" he asked, surprised by how calm his voice sounded when inside he was a wreck.

Alyssa sighed. "That's a worst case scenario, Joe. Right now she's far away from that happening. I just wanted you to know everything before you went in to see her so you'd have time to process it and be able to support her. She's going to need your strength so it's important for you to be calm and prepared."

Roman glanced toward the door Alyssa emerged from earlier. "Who's with her now?"

Alyssa rolled her eyes. "Her mother and she's driving Lexi crazy. She's already decided that since Lexi has to be on bed rest for at least the next week, that she's going to take Lexi home with her."

Roman's brow winged up. "Really?"

Alyssa placed a hand over Roman's wrist. "As Lexi's fiance and the father of her child, you need to put your foot down. If Lexi goes home with that woman there is no doubt in my mind she'll end up in the hospital."

* * *

"King me." Seth grinned as he looked up at Lexi.

Frowning, Lexi placed a checker on top of his. "I still say you're cheating."

"How am I cheating when you're watching every move I make?" he argued.

"I don't know," Lexi waved a hand at him. "Give me a minute and I'll figure it out."

Roman stood just outside the bedroom door of the tour bus and watched as his best friend lay stretched across the bed while he played a game of checkers with Lexi. Two weeks after their scare she was now back on the road with them, but still restricted to mostly bed rest. The bleeding had stopped, thank God, but with the baby continuing to grow they knew it could return at any time. The more she stayed off her feet the better.

He'd stepped in and prevent her from going home with her mother, but with the touring schedule he'd been unable to stay home with her and had shuffled Lexi off to his parents while he was gone. She hadn't been happy and while she made the best of it, he knew she was much calmer and content to be back with him and the boys. Roman silently thanked his soon to be father in law, because if they didn't have the tour bus, she would have had to stay in Pensacola with his family.

"So," Seth began. "Is your dad going to give you away?" he asked.

Lexi nodded and Roman grinned at the smile that lit her face. Bret was, Roman knew, the only person, besides himself, that Lexi loved unconditionally. While she wasn't one to let anyone person dictate her decision in life, her father's opinion carried a lot of weight. "I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about the wedding," she said. "Honestly, I've been battling some demons when it came to getting married, but I've finally reached a point where I'm excited. I really can't wait."

Her admission caused Roman's smile to widen. She'd come such a long way since he'd first asked her to marry him. To know she was looking forward to it warmed his heart.

"Did you manage to get your dress before you had the scare with the baby?" Seth asked.

"Yeah," Lexi adjusted the pillow she was leaning against. "Alyssa actually picked it out, but I love it. I can't wait for Roman to see it."

Seth arched a brow. "Shield colors?"

Lexi giggled and shook her head. "Not quite. The dress is white, but I promise that The Shield is represented."

"Good," Seth replied and double jumped her last two pieces. "I win."

She narrowed her gaze and studied him. "Best two out of three?"

Seth grinned and gathered up the checkers. "You're on."

* * *

Later, Roman walked into the bedroom to find Lexi engross in something she was watching on her laptop. He eased onto the bed next to her and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Whatcha' watching?"

She slid a sideways look at him. "Promise you won't make fun of me?"

"I promise," he replied, curious now by her question.

"I'm taking an online Lamaze class," she said..

His brow winged up in surprise. "Really? Why?"

She shrugged. "Mostly because I'm bored, but I am a little curious. I figure even if I'm having a C-section that doesn't mean I should deny myself the experience of taking the class."

"But you're not going to get to use any of it," Roman argued as he struggled to understand her thinking.

"True, but it's still an experience in itself," she explained. "It's a right of passage, so to speak, to take a childbirth class. So what if I don't use it? I still get the experience." She paused a moment, her look turning slightly sheepish. "Honestly, I'm beginning to think that a C-section might not be so bad."

Well she was just full of surprises tonight, Roman decided. "Why is that?"

"I-um...I got curious and decided to check out some childbirth videos on Youtube." She visibly shuddered. "At least with a C-section I won't have to worry about dealing with all that pain."

"You've never been afraid of pain before," Roman argued. "Remember the incident with your broken arm last year?"

Lexi nodded. "Sure, but all that childbirth stuff looks pretty scary. It's not just the thought of dealing with pain for hours on end, but you have to give up control of the situation and put yourself in the hands of fate." She shook her head. "I'm not good with relinquishing control. Actually, the idea frightens the hell out of me."

"Don't I know it," Roman chuckled. "Guess it's a good thing you don't have to worry about that."

She grinned. "I guess so."


	25. Chapter 25

_Okay, somewhere I got off on my chapter numbering. Sorry about that. However, without further delay I present to you Lexi and Roman's wedding._

* * *

Chapter 24

Lexi couldn't quite believe it had been a month since the scare with the baby. Full bed rest then limited rest seemed to do the trick and she hadn't suffered any repeat effects. With two and a half months until the baby was due, hopefully, it would stay that way.

Right now, she had more immediate concerns to address. She smoothed a hand over her dress and unhappy with what she saw, sighed at her reflection. "I look like a freaking cow." As of recent, she was starting to feel like one too.

Amber stopped fixing Lexi's hair and frowned at her in the mirror. "You do not. You look beautiful."

Lexi quirked her lips, assessing. "From the breast up, I agree." She sighed and slid into the nearest empty seat. "I'm telling you Amber, this kid is wrecking me."

Careful of her own dress, Amber eased into the chair across from her. "I thought you were happy about the baby?"

"I am," Lexi defended. "I totally am, but it doesn't change the fact that with me on full restrictions, which means no exercising whatsoever, my body is very quickly going to hell. It's going to make getting back in shape that much harder and my return to the ring that much longer."

Amber shook her head. "I can't believe you're thinking about wrestling just minutes before you're about to get married."

"I know, I know, but its hard. I'm so conflicted right now. I love Roman so much and I'm totally excited about getting married and totally scare shitless at the same time. And while I wouldn't trade any of this for the world, I do miss my old, pre-pregnancy life. I didn't think I would, but I actually do." She shrugged. "Maybe it's because of all the doctors appointments and forced bed rest that I'm missing my old life. I always thought being pregnant would be fun, and it does have it's moments, but honestly, it's just be nothing but one scare after another and lots of stress."

"Wow." Amber blinked. "You are conflicted, but then its kinda understandable considering everything that's been going on. Still, you have to remember that you're not totally giving up your old, life," Amber argued. "Once the baby is born, you're coming back to work."

Lexi nodded. "Yes, but I won't be allowed any serious exercise for like two months post birth or something like that. Then it's going to be months for me to get back into wrestling shape and that will, I'm sure, be compounded by having a c-section and needing to build that cut muscle back up. Then I'll have to spend time in NXT knocking off the ring rust. It's gonna be this time next year before I'll be ready to return." She sighed. "It all just seems so far away."

"It's really not." Amber placed a hand on Lexi's knee. "It wasn't that long ago that I'm sure it felt as if the wedding and the baby would never get here and look where you are now."

"True," Lexi considered. "It's just hard watching you all wrestle while I'm stuck in bed. And it's really hard to watch my body go to hell and know that if I try to anything about it I put my baby's life at risk."

"Well," Amber replied. "Seems to me that it's a small price to pay, considering you're gaining a husband and child in the deal. And you'll eventually get your body back. It will be a lot of work I'm sure, but if you want it bad enough, it can happen."

Accepting Amber's pep talk in the spirit with which it was intended, Lexi smiled at her best friend. Nothing productive could come from feeling sorry for herself and these restrictions wouldn't last forever. Besides, the man she loved still wanted to marry her despite everything that was going on. In reality, she was one very lucky woman. "You're right of course." Lexi slowly pushed up and returned to the mirror. "Ignore me." Feeling slightly better she waved a hand in the air. "My hormones are all out of wack and I'm feeling a bit emotional." She thought about Roman, all dressed up in his tuxedo and grinned. She was sure he would be drop dead gorgeous all decked out and more important, he was all hers. "How about we forget about my nonsensical whining and finish my hair so I can get married?"

* * *

Butterflies fluttered in Lexi's stomach as she stood at the french doors and listened to the beginning of the wedding march. She glanced over at her father who grinned and patted her hand. "You ready?' Bret asked.

She took in a deep breath and nodded. "Let's do this."

Punk and Jericho opened the doors and Lexi and Bret stepped into the garden. Against the background of green Grassleaf flowers bloomed in varying shades of orange and red. Black-eyed susans peppered the edge of the garden in brilliant yellow, while butterflies fluttered near bushes blooming in lavender, pink and white at the far edge of the garden.

Family and friends sat at tables. already set up for the reception, that flanked the aisle on either side. Per her wishes, those same tables were covered in white clothes while the chairs were trimmed in black bows. Each table was topped with a black and white swirled vase overflowing with the same white Gerber daisies that made up her bouquet. Their black centers popped against the white background.

She turned to look at Chris and grinned. He returned her smile with one of his own and mouthed the word 'beautiful' to her. She replied with a silent thank you, then turned her attention to the end of the aisle where Roman stood with his brother, Seth, and Dean. They all looked so handsome in their tuxedos, but Roman... _Oh God! _ Inside her chest, her heart did a giddy little flip. Per her request, he'd worn his hair down, the dark loose curls draped lazily over his shoulders, framed his face and topped off the black tuxedo he wore. Even now, well over a year since they first met, she still couldn't quite believe she'd been the one to catch his eye, but God she was thankful she had.

She noted the scowl on her mother's face as she passed and dismissed it just as quickly. It didn't matter that her mother now held a grudge against Roman for putting his foot down during their last scare with the baby. He'd done what was best for the her and their baby and if her mother couldn't recognize and accept that fact, then the issue was hers, not Lexi's. Nothing, she decided, and especially not her mother's attitude was going to ruin this day.

They stopped in front of the minister. "Who give this woman to wed?" the minister asked.

"I give this woman," Bret said then turned to look at Roman and placed Lexi's hand in his. "I'd say take good care of her, but you already have."

_Yep, that was it. _Lexi sniffled. She was definitely going to cry. Lexi sucked in a breath, fought back the tears and smile up at Roman as he took his place next to her and the minister began. "Dear friends and family, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of Leati Joseph Anoai and Alexandra Marie Hart in marriage. In the time they have been together, their love and understanding of each other has grown and matured, and now they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife."

Ever so slightly, Roman leaned toward her. "You look gorgeous in that dress," he whispered. From the corner of her eye, Lexi cut her attention toward him and smiled even as the minister continued on about the meaning of marriage and love in the eyes of God. Then she simply closed her eyes and allowed the moment to flow throw her. She found the minister's voice soothing as he spoke about how love, above all else, could see a couple through any situation. He talked of the sanctity of marriage and honoring and respecting your spouse.

For a brief moment she thought about her parents and how they had probably made similar vows to those she was about to recite and how despite making the pledge to one another, ultimately they failed as a couple. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at Roman to find him smiling down at her. She had no intention of ever following in her parent's footsteps.

"Do you Joseph, accept Alexandra as your lifemate and one true love," the minister began. "Promising to share in all that life offers and suffers, to be there for her in times of need, to soothe her in time of pain, and to support her in all endeavors, big and small?"

Roman stared down at her now, his big expressive eyes filled with love and welled with emotion. "I do," he rumbled and Lexi felt the impact of those two little words directly in her heart.

The minister turned to Lexi now. "Do you Alexandra, accept Joseph as your lifemate and one true love," the minister repeated. "Promising to share in all that life offers and suffers, to be there for him in times of need, to soothe him in time of pain, and to support him in all endeavors, big and small?"

Lexi realized as she stared up at Roman, her heart overflowing with love, that they'd already done all those things and more. There would never be another in her life that would ever hold her heart. It now and forever belonged to him. "I do," she replied on a watery grin.

They exchanged rings, and Lexi's hands shook as she recited her vows, the words pouring from her as tears streaked her face. She had a feeling that even if she hadn't been pregnant and hormonal, she probably would have still cried like a baby. She was still coming to terms with that thought when they kissed in front of the hundred and fifty friends and family who had gathered for the occasion.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the minister said as he raised his hands in celebration. "For the first time anywhere I would like to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Leati Joseph Anoai." The crowd cheered and for the first time in years, Lexi finally felt as if everything was right in her world.

They danced their first song as a couple to Rascal Flatt's Broken Road. The lyrics were, she realized, an accurate representation of her life to that point. Despite her best efforts not to, hormonal and wrought with emotion, she nearly sobbed as Roman leaned down to kiss her when the song ended. At this rate she was going to be an exhausted mess by the end of the night.

She danced with her father to Butterfly kisses and watched as Roman danced with his mother. Then they took their seats and enjoyed a sumptuous steak dinner. After dinner, they cut the cake and being a smart man, Roman refrained from smashing it in her face.

Later, Lexi did the traditional toss of her bouquet and was delighted when Amber caught it. By the look on Seth's face, he hadn't minded the not so subtle implication that came from her catch. At about hour three of the reception Lexi felt herself beginning to fade. Exhaustion seeped into her bones and her back began to ache. As much as she would have loved to get up and dance with everyone else, her body was demanding she rest.

After everything that had happened, it was a demand she wouldn't ignore. She leaned over to Roman. "I need to lay down for a little while."

For a moment he simply stared at her, then as if her words finally registered through the thin haze of alcohol, he nodded. Within minutes he'd excused them from the party and taken her into the house and up to his old bedroom. Through the window she could see the party going on in the garden and smiled as she settled back on the pillows. Let them celebrate and enjoy themselves, it was after all, a day of celebration, she thought as she closed her eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 25

"Come on Rome," Lexi nearly whined as she pulled against his grip. "My back hurts and for reasons beyond me, my feet are starting to swell. All I want to do is go lay down with the heating pad and put my feet up." Why was he being so obstinate about this? He knew she hadn't been feeling well the last few days, so why was he so insistent about her going with him for dinner with Dean and Seth?

After everything that had happened over the course of the pregnancy why in the world was he so willing to throw caution to the wind? Sure, she only had a few more days with them before she would return home and stay until after the baby was born, but did that fact negate her not feeling well?

"I promise," he said as he tugged her toward the tour bus door. "I will rub your back for as long as you want if you go with us." The pleading look in his eyes broke down her resolve. How could she possibly say no to him. Besides, this would probably their last time to be together as a group for quite some time.

"Okay, fine." She motioned to the door. "Let's go before I change my mind." Mindful of the recent shift in her center of gravity, Lexi placed a hand on her back to help brace herself as she stepped down and into the humid July air. "I'm seriously starting to feel like a cow," she grumbled.

Roman chuckled. "You're not a cow." He pulled her to him, cupped her face in his big palms. "What you are, is absolutely beautiful."

She grinned as he leaned down to kiss her. "You are such a liar, but at this point I'll take it. So where are we going to eat?" she asked as she pulled back, turned and started walking toward the hotel entrance where Dean and Seth had rented rooms for the night. While it was fun for them all to ride from city to city together, the bus really wasn't spacious enough for all six of them, including Amber and Zoe, to sleep. Not to mention it lacked a certain amount of privacy for the boys that they craved.

Roman shrugged. "I'm actually not sure. Seth said he found this neat little Moroccan place nearby."

Lexi groaned as she placed a hand on her belly, thought about the squirming and kicking that would result from her indulging in spicy foods. No way would little one let her sleep tonight if she ate Moroccan. "Last week it was hot wings. Three days ago it was Mexican and now Moroccan? I swear you guys are trying to put me into early labor with all the spicy food."

Roman only smirked as he continued walking. "I would like to remind you that you could have gotten BBQ wings instead of buffalo and you could have eaten some mild tacos instead of that jalapeno packed enchilada."

Lexi frowned. "It wasn't jalapeno packed, besides, mild tacos are boring."

She caught the wry grin on his face, but he remained silent and instead simply shook his head.

Smart man. She slipped her hand into his as they crossed the threshold into the building. "So why are we heading into the hotel if we're supposed to be going to dinner?" She knew she was being persnickety with all her questions and grumbling, but damn it she really wasn't up to sitting in a hard chair several hours while eating food that would end up keeping her up with heartburn.

"Dean said we needed to meet him and Seth." He passed by the front desk and headed down the short hall to the elevators. Then stopped in front of a closed door marked conference room.

She frowned. "We're meeting them In the hotel's conference room?"

He reached for the handle, turned it and pushed open the door. "Just humor me, okay?"

Running out of patience, Lexi rolled her eyes and walked into the room.

_Surprise!_ The unified shout was so loud it actually had her taking a step back in surprise. Her hand went to her mouth as she smothered a gasp. There were balloons, and streamers and a giant sign that read Congratulations Roman and Lexi.

Nattie was the first to hug her. "What is all this?" Lexi asked as the shock took hold.

"Your baby shower, silly." Nattie placed a paper hat on Lexi's head. "With you on bed rest we weren't really able to give you a bridal shower or a proper bachelorette party, so we decided to throw you a baby shower instead."

"Besides," Amber said as she pulled Lexi into a hug. "Did you really think we were going to let you go back to Pensacola without the necessary gear for taking care of a baby?"

Lexi actually giggled at the question. "Well, of course not."

"Come," Zoe motioned to the middle of the room. "You and Roman need to sit."

"Me?" Roman asked, as he glanced at the guys. "I thought baby showers were for the women."

"We're having a Jack and Jill shower," Amber clarified.

"Complete with beer and food." Seth raised a bottle of beer from where he stood a few feet away.

Roman glanced at Lexi and shrugged as a grin tipped his lips. "Who am I to argue. Lead the way and somebody bring me a beer."

An hour into the party, Roman was on his third beer and Lexi was giddy with happiness as she opened gifts and laughed with her friends. Most of the time Diva's left the WWE before having kids. So a baby shower was a rare occurrence. The fact that someone thought to put one together for her and Roman made Lexi's heart melt.

Lexi picked up a box wrapped in a red baroque patterned paper. "That's from me," AJ said from where she sat on Punk's lap.

Lexi grinned, then ripped open the paper and stared at the box. Roman leaned over for a better look. "What is that?"

"It's a baby carrier," AJ offered. "You wear it like a reverse backpack and the baby slides right inside.

"I love it," Lexi replied, thinking about how handy it would be to carry the baby around backstage after she came back to work.

Seth let out a snort and slapped Dean on the back. "I bet Roman would look just adorable wearing that."

Dean grinned at Seth, pulled the half empty bottle from his hand and passed it off to Amber. "He's flagged," Dean said.

Amber shook her head even as a smile tipped her lips. "He'll be sorry tomorrow, but then that's his problem."

"Dick," Roman grumbled as he shot a glare at his best friend. "I'll have you know I'm secure enough in my manhood to use that thing. How about you?"

Seth shot to his feet, staggered for a moment and used Dean's shoulder as a brace to keep himself upright. "Is that a challenge, Reigns?" he narrowed his inebriated gaze. "That sounds like a challenge," he repeated. Lexi simply shook her head as she handed the box to Roman. She knew where this was going and oh boy was Seth going to be sorry tomorrow.

"Just don't break it," she whispered.

"No promises," Roman replied, then planted a quick kiss on her lips. "But if we do, I'll make Seth replace it."

Lexi watched as, box in hand, Roman stalk across the room toward Seth. He had just enough alcohol in him that it would make for an interesting night between him and the boys.

Nattie slid a big box in front of Lexi, pulling her attention away from the mischief her boys were creating. "This is from me and TJ."

Lexi grinned up at her cousin as she reached for the wrapped box. While she and Nattie didn't have a whole lot in common, Lexi still saw her more as a sister than a cousin. They'd trained together during the early days, leaned on each other when times were tough and was always there for one another whenever a shoulder was needed to cry on. She ripped at the paper and stared blankly at the picture of the travel system that was apparently inside. "Nattie." Lexi looked from the box to her cousin and back. "This is so awesome."

Natalya grinned. "I'm glad you liked it. I wanted to go with something a little more babyish, but TJ reminded me that Roman would have to use it too, so out of respect for him and not knowing the sex of the baby we decided to just go with grey and blue."

Lexi shook her head. "No, it's perfect." She could feel the tears welling and hoped she wouldn't cry. Nattie slid into the seat Roman abandoned and nudged Lexi. "So have you two decided on a name for my new cousin."

Lexi rested her hands on the top of the box and nodded. "I think so. We've been toying with names for the last three months and have decided that it's important for Roman's heritage to be represented. So if it's a boy we're leaning toward Owen Fetu. She waited a heartbeat and watched as Nattie's eyes widened and a slow smile filled her face. "Oh Lexi, Mom and Uncle Bret would be so moved if you named your baby after Uncle Owen." Lexi felt the lump form in her throat. "I'm glad you think so."

Nattie took her hand. "And if it's a girl?"

"Alea Faith," Lexi answered.

"That's beautiful," Amber whispered from where she sat a few feet away. "I'm guessing the Alea is probably Pacific Island or Samoan, but does Faith have some special meaning?"

Lexi caught a glimpse of Roman strapping the baby carrier onto Seth, then placing a white teddy bear they'd received as a gift in the spot where the baby would go. Dean and Roman's cousins Jimmy and Jey already had their phones out recording. Boy was he going to be sorry tomorrow. She grinned as she turned her attention back to Amber. "Only in that I needed to find and keep my faith when it came to accepting happiness back into my life."


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 26

She was restless, Lexi decided as she fumbled through the tour bus's tiny kitchen, looking for something to munch on, despite not really being all that hungry. Her back was killing her, yet she could feel a nervous energy coursing through her. The need to expel it overwhelmed her. What she wanted to do was clean, but Roman would tie her to the bed if he caught her lifting a finger beyond washing the occasional dish.

She'd read until she was cross eyed, worked Sudoku and word search puzzles until her brain hurt. The perverse side of her even indulged her curiosity and she'd watched some youtube videos on C-section births, then wished she hadn't. Neither way, she'd decided was all that appealing as she'd end up facing pain either way.

Still, if her back continued to hurt the way it had been, she'd almost welcome the idea of going under the knife. For the last three days she'd suffered with a nagging back ache that seemed to come and go as it pleased. Last night it bothered her to the point where it interrupted her sleep and the result was her feeling cranky and irritable today.

She'd toyed with the idea that maybe it had something to do with weather, but since it had only started to seriously rain within the last few hours, she doubted that was it. Whatever the reason for the ache she hoped it would pass soon.

To make matters worse, since earlier that morning she'd suddenly been plagued with stomach issues. It also seemed to not be all that serious and also appeared to come and go as it pleased.

More irritated than concerned by the nagging symptoms, she'd consulted her pregnancy book and discovered, much to her chagrin, that everything she was experiencing was nothing more than normal late term symptoms. As far as she was concerned, being pregnant had officially moved out of the fun stage and become real work.

It was probably best, Lexi considered, that her last day on the road would be Tuesday's taping of Smackdown. With only a month left in her pregnancy she need to shift gears anyway and mentally prepare for her life to completely change.

She could handle another month, especially if it meant having a healthy happy baby. Despite feeling miserable, a small smile tipped her lips and she placed a gentle hand over her belly. "Not too much longer, peanut," she whispered. "Then you're getting evicted."

The tour bus door opened and Roman burst up the steps into the room. Dripping wet, he shook his hair, spraying water in all directions and Lexi took a step back to avoid getting wet. "It's really coming down out there."

She turned and stared out the window. "It sure is. And people are still pulling into the arena parking lot…amazing."

Roman nodded. "I know. It's crazy. Seth said that the weather bureau is still tracking hurricane Desiree. She's now off the coast of Florida and is supposedly still expected to turn and head out to sea." He shook his head. "Though, if this rain is any indication, we're going to get drenched before that happens."

Awareness danced along Lexi's skin as concern slowly surfaced. The bus wasn't designed to survive a hurricane. "I can't believe they're still going forward with the house show," she said. "Shouldn't everyone be taking cover?"

He caught her by the shoulders, held her in place. "I don't think there is anything to worry about, sweetheart. We're getting smacked with the outer bands of rain, but she's supposed to turn and head out to sea soon. We'll do our house show tonight, head up the coast for the house show in Summerville and then layover for RAW on Monday in Charleston. It's all good."

* * *

It wasn't all good, Lexi thought as the group piled onto the tour bus after the show. The moment Roman returned back to the small arena, she'd turned on the news. Within an hour of her tuning in the announcement was made that the hurricane had turned alright, but it had turned the wrong direction and was now on a direct path toward Charleston.

"So what do we do?" Amber asked as she sat at the table across from Lexi. "Do we make a run for it or hunker down here and wait it out?"

Dean shook his head. "Management hasn't called off the shows for tomorrow and Monday yet. We need to proceed just as we would if there wasn't a storm brewing."

"But," Zoe argued. "That puts us right in the middle of it."

"We should be safe enough if we can make it to the hotel," Seth offered. "It's well inland."

Lexi wasn't so sure, but at this point what choice did they have? They couldn't bolt like they wanted and risk the wrath of management if for some reason the hurricane changed directions again and missed the coast. She also knew the McMahon's well enough to understand that they wouldn't cancel or even reschedule an event unless it was absolutely necessary. "We head for the hotel," she said, resolved to their fate.

The next three stressful hours seemed to creep by as Roman steered the bus through crushing interstate traffic toward their destination. It seemed that everyone in the area was racing for higher ground, moving farther inland to escape the powerful winds the storm would bring.

Lexi tried to relax as rain beat on the bus roof and the occasional gust of wind sent it shaking from side to side, but right now relaxation was beyond her abilities.

She couldn't remember being more grateful to see the hotel than when they pulled up the long drive. She was even more thankful when she spotted the other busses belonging to Punk, Daniel Bryan, Big Show and John Cena parked together in the back corner of the lot. Several of the rental cars she spotted in the parking lot she knew also belonged to their crew. It appeared everyone made it in one piece.

Roman pulled the bus to a stop in front of the building, turned and looked at Lexi. "You go in with the girls and Seth. Dean and I will secure the bus then be in."

Nodding, she grabbed her bag, only to have Seth pulled it away from her. "You're carrying enough right now," he scolded. She really didn't feel like arguing with him and instead returned to the bedroom to retrieve her pregnancy pillow before departing the bus with Seth and the girls.

Once inside she waited until Zoe had checked them in and added Lexi and Roman to the suite they'd reserved. Then they headed up to their suite. She was standing in the common room when Roman and Dean finally arrived.

"So we've been down this road before," Amber offered. "Who gets the room with the king bed and who is taking the room with the two queens?"

"I don't know if it matters to any of you or not," Lexi began, "But with the baby all but sitting on my bladder, I now get up a couple times a night to pee and I haven't been sleeping all that well lately."

Amber and Zoe exchanged looks and Lexi watched as a silent agreement passed between them. "Roman and Lexi can have the king bed," Amber announced.

They'd only been in bed about an hour when Lexi hauled herself to her feet and headed for the common room. Sleep seemed to elude her and her back still hurt something fierce. Thankful they still had power, she found an outlet for her heating pad, then settled back on the couch with the hopes that this time it might actually work and relieve some of her pain.

Except for the patter of the rain on the window and the occasional howl of gusting wind, the room was silent. An uneasy feeling slid through her as she watched out the window while the light pole outside shook and flickered from a particularly strong gust. Were they far enough inland to be safe?

She was pondering that thought when she noticed how her belly tightened beneath her hand and she waited with an odd curiosity until about a minute later it softened again.

_Braxton Hicks contraction?_ She rolled her eyes and sighed in disgust at the thought of having to deal with one more issue. Alyssa assured her that Braxton Hicks contractions were harmless, relatively painless, and were her body's way of practicing for childbirth. So hopefully, it was nothing to worry about. In the meantime she'd try to sleep.


	28. Chapter 28

_Just a couple more chapters left. I plan on tweaking them and posting them in the morning. Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 27

Lexi leaned against the sink and bit back a moan as her midsection tightened with a vice like grip. She hit the button on her phone, looked at the time and closed her eyes as reality slowly began to set in. These weren't just random and sporadic Braxton Hicks contractions that had kept her up all night and if her suspicions were right, about a half hour ago the pattern switched from random to methodical. If she were right the next one would hit in about five minutes.

She eased down onto the edge of the tub and waited. Right on time her belly began to tighten and it was everything she could do to catch her breath. Once the contraction passed she managed to get to her feet and headed into the bedroom. "Roman." She gave him a quick shake and watched as his eyes opened and he set his sleepy gaze on her.

"Hey." He grinned. "What are you-" The question died on his lips as his eyes widened. "What's wrong?"

"I'm pretty sure I'm having contractions," she said as fear began to crawl up her throat. "I think I might be in labor."

In an instant, he flung the covers off and sprang out of bed. "Are you sure?" he asked as he took her by the shoulders and eased her down onto the bed.

"Pretty sure," she gasped as yet another contraction hit, the pain tore through her and it was everything she could do to breathe.

"Why didn't you wake me earlier?" Roman asked as he grabbed his sweatpants from the suitcase.

"I wasn't sure it was anything until about a half hour ago when I started having steady, painful contractions. It's not like I've ever done this before, Roman. I didn't want to wake you over nothing." She turned her head and eyed the closed drapes. "This is just perfect. When I couldn't sleep I turned on the early morning news. The governor has put us under a state of emergency. How am I supposed to get to the hospital?

Roman leaned down and with one finger, turned her face to his. "Hey, don't worry. We'll get through this."

"How?" she asked as that rising panic began to build upon itself. The baby wasn't due for another month and she was supposed to give birth in a hospital, damn it. _Her_ hospital. With _her_ doctor. "How are we supposed to get through this when help is somewhere out in that storm?"

"Let me handle the how, okay?"

Knowing she had few options and that he would do his best to make things right, she nodded. Panicking wouldn't do any good anyway.

"Good girl. Now do you remember any of the breathing you learned from that online childbirth class?"

She nodded and eased back onto the pillow. "Good," he replied. "Work on your breathing. I'll be right back."

Within ten minutes, the room was bustling with people. Once Roman woke the others, everyone scattered. Phone calls were made, and somehow Amber managed to locate Doctor Amman, who had thankfully also been staying in the hotel. He eased onto the bed next to Lexi while Seth, Amber, Dean and Zoe stood near the bedroom door.

"How far apart are the contractions?"

"Five minutes," she replied as she prepared for the next one. "They were far apart and random overnight, so I didn't think anything about it. I assumed they Braxton Hicks, but they're strong and steady now."

His lips thinned at her response. "I need to check to see if you're dilated."

Lexi nodded. "Okay," she gasped as the contraction hit and a small groan slipped from her as her belly tightened again.

He reached for his bag, pulled out a rubber glove.. "I'll wait until the contraction is over to check." He slid a glove onto his hand, turned back and waited.

Roman ease in behind her, giving her some support. He slid his arms beneath hers and held her as Doctor Amman began the exam. Trying to ignore the discomfort, Lexi sucked in a quick breath, but didn't utter a sound. "Well," Doctor Amman began as he pulled back and stripped of the glove. "Looks like we're having a baby." He glanced over his shoulder at Amber. "Call 911, tell them we have a woman in labor and close to giving birth. Find out how long it will take to get an ambulance here."

Amber nodded, then disappeared into the other room even as Lexi's eyes widened and terror streaked through her. She turned her head to look at Roman who also wore a mask of concern. "What? No. I'm not supposed to go through labor. My doctor wanted to do a C-section."

Doctor Amman placed a hand over hers. "Listen to me, Lexi. You're eight centimeters now and nearly fully effaced. Your little one is on its way and there's no stopping it now. Hopefully the ambulance will be able to get here quickly and we can at least get you to the hospital."

"No dice, Doc," Amber called from the doorway as her attention darted from Doctor Amman to Lexi and back. "The 911 operator is telling me that service is maxed out. There's a forty minute lag for calls. Plus the main road leading out of town this direction is flooded because of the storm. She's not sure when she could get someone here."

Doctor Amman sighed. "Then we don't have a choice. We're going to have to do this the old fashion way." He glanced at Amber. "Call them back and cancel the request. Then come right back here because I'm going to need help."

_Oh God._ Lexi felt as if she was slowly losing control. She hated that feeling. "But...I can't have the baby here." Tears welled as she surrendered to the strong grip of terror that quickly took hold. It was too soon. She wasn't ready. She was supposed to have at least three more weeks. And what about the scar tissue? What would happen to it during labor?

"Sure you can," Doctor Amman corrected. "Women give birth at home all the time. Besides, you're pretty far along for only realizing you were in labor less than an hour ago. If I were a betting man I'd say you're going to start transitioning shortly and then everything is going to progress very quickly." He pushed off the bed and stood. "We need to prepare."

"Try and relax, sweetheart," Roman whispered. "We're not going to let anything bad happen to you or the baby."

"Roman's right," Doctor Amman agreed. "We're going to take good care of you and the baby. He paused and gave her a reassuring smile. "You know I haven't delivered a baby in quite a few years. Kinda nice to have the opportunity again." He turned to the crew still standing near the doorway. "We need to get some supplies here right away. Ladies. I need ice for Lexi to suck on between contractions. Also, if one of you could check with the hotel manager I need the following items. A new plastic shower curtain liner." He began ticking off the list on his fingers. "Lots of clean towels. Preferably ones they won't want back, because they're going to be blood soaked by the time we're done. Extra pillows. A clean, empty bucket. A clean basin to hold fresh water and trash bags."

The women nodded and immediately disappeared. Doctor Amann turned back to Lexi. "Do you guys have anything here for the baby already?" He cocked his head to the side. "I know your due date was three weeks from now, but maybe you've been picking up diapers and wipes, onesies? Anything?"

Her brain cloudy with pain, Lexi shook her head even as Roman replied with a resounding yes. "The Diva's threw Lexi a baby shower the day before yesterday. We have all the gifts still in the tour bus." A frown claimed him as he turned to look out the window. "It's got to be seventy five mile an hour winds or more outside. The bus is parked at the back of the lot. There's no way anyone could safely reach it, right now."

Seth stepped forward and smacked Dean on the shoulder. "Make a list of what you need from the bus. We'll get it."

Roman shook his head. "No. It's too dangerous."

Seth grinned. "Don't worry, bro. No little bit of wind is going to keep us from getting whatever it is our new niece or nephew needs, right, Dean?"

Dean nodded. "That's right. We're The Shield, remember. Nobody and nothing can stop us."

Within minutes, they'd also disappeared, leaving her alone with Doctor Amman and Roman. "Lexi," Doctor Amman started. "Honey, your water hasn't broken yet, so why don't we make use of the whirlpool tub for a little while? The hot water will help take the edge off the pain."

With quite a bit of effort, she let Roman help her to her feet and over to the tub in the corner of the room. She struggled to keep her composure as Roman drew the bath. This wasn't at all how it was supposed to happen. Labor meant giving up control and she simply couldn't do that she thought as she sank into the water and leaned back. The heat infused her skin and soaked into her muscles, loosening them.

She lifted a hand to her head and closed her eyes as she let the heat work its way through her body. This wasn't at all how she'd pictured giving birth, but so many people were here to support her. Dean and Seth were damn near risking their lives to get the baby's things from the tour bus. Did it really matter how she got there as along as the end result was the same, as long as she and the baby were safe and healthy? Back when she'd first learned she was pregnant she'd actually had her heart set on a natural childbirth. Of course, that was before she realized just how out of control she'd end up feeling.

Still, it wasn't as if she had a choice. She thought about her dad, her past and Roman. She was a Hart damn it, which meant she could do anything. That thought disintegrated on the wave of pain that arrived with her next contraction. Caught off guard by the sheer intensity of it, she grabbed her belly and cried out. In an instant, Roman was at her side. "What is it?"

Unable to speak she shook her head and tried to remember her breathing. When the contraction finally began to subside she laid her head back and looked at him. The concern in his eyes melted her heart and she reached a wet hand up to touch his cheek. "I love you so much," she whispered as emotion poured through her.

He took her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. "I love you too. Are you sure you're doing okay?"

She nodded. "Harder contraction that before. It caught me off guard, is all."

He reached out to cup her cheek and rubbed a thumb along her jawline. "I'm sorry you're hurting."

She smiled now as she placed a hand over his wrist. "I'm not. Every contraction is bringing our baby closer to us. No matter how bad it gets, I'll won't regret a moment of it."

Before Roman could reply the girls burst through the door, arms loaded down. "We're back with supplies," Amber announced. "Where do you want everything?"


	29. Chapter 29

_Okay folks, here's the chapter you've all probably been waiting for...enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 28

The moment her water broke, Lexi seriously began rethinking her not regretting anything statement. Without that cushioning bag of fluid between her and the baby, the contractions were so much stronger and lasted for longer periods of time. The intense pain damn near took her breath away and threatened to break down what little resolve she'd managed to retain.

One particularly strong contraction had her crying out as she gripped the sides of the tub. Roman wiped a cool cloth over her forehead as he encouraged her to work through it. She shook her head and she wasn't sure if it was at him or the pain. Something about this contraction was different from the others. It made her nervous and jumpy, more so than before. "It's different. I can't-" she gasped as her control began to slip. It' feels…" she panted. "It feels like something's moving inside me."

Her words had Doctor Amman by her side in an instant. "Are you feeling more pressure between your legs?"

Lexi nodded.

"Okay, I'm thinking it's time. Roman, help me get her up and out of the tub."

_Time? It's time? _"Can't I give birth in the tub?" she pleaded as Roman began to help her up. Despite the pain, the warm water still soothed her. Plus, she'd watched a few water births on Youtube and they seemed easier than lying on the bed.

Doctor Amman shook his head. "I'm sorry, Lexi, but you can't. The tub really isn't big enough for it, plus I need to be able to gauge your blood loss to know if we have an issue with your scar tissue. Disappointed, she allowed Roman to guide her back to the bed that was now covered by the shower curtain.

She'd just settled onto the bed when Dean and Seth, both soaked to the skin, reappeared. Each man carried a nearly full trash bag of items and Seth had a box in his other hand that contained the bouncy chair Trinity and John had bought them.

The girls took the bags and began pulling items out in preparation. "I called the front desk," Amber said. "I spoke with the manager and he's going to have a crib sent up."

To Lexi it felt as if Amber were the teacher from the peanuts. Focused on getting through the next contraction all she heard was the droning 'waa wa wa wa'. She grabbed Romans hand and squeezed as the pain escalated. Despite her best efforts to contain it, a moan ripped from her.

This time when Doctor Amman checked her, she whimpered and received a gentle kiss on the temple from Roman.

Doctor Amman set back and smiled. "Ten centimeters and fully effaced. You're ready to push, Lexi. Just let your body guide you and tell us when you're ready."

Amber stepped forward. "I know we've kinda been just hanging out and doing what we can, but if you guys don't want us here now, we'll just wait in the common area." She angled a thumb over her shoulder toward the door leading into the other area of the suite."

"No," Lexi shook her head. "Please stay. You guys are my family and if you want to stay for the birth then I want you here."

"Actually," Doctor Amman added. "I could use a couple of willing hands to help out. Preferably, someone who isn't going to pass out at the sight of blood. Lexi watched as Amber, then Seth of all people, step forward. She also caught the subtle back step that Dean took.

While the man was known for his near legendary bloodbaths during his hardcore wrestling days, she knew he wasn't much on seeing other people bleed. She barely had time to ponder that thought when a new and disturbing sensation slid through her. It felt as if her internal organs were shifting.

"I feel weird," Lexi grasped for Roman.

"What kind of weird," Doctor Amman questioned. "Describe it."

She was trying to find the words when a sudden and overwhelming need to push swamped her. "Oh God. Oh God. I gotta push."

"Okay, here we go," Roman, moved into position with is front to her back and slid his arms around her, letting her use him for leverage. With Roman behind her as support and Seth and Amber assisting Doctor Amman she pulled her legs up and working with the contraction, with the pain, she bared down. Her entire body seemed to tighten and she had to bite back a scream. "That's it Lexi. Push hard," Doctor Amman encouraged.

"Good job, sweetheart, "Roman whispered against her ear. "You can do this. I know you can do this."

A half hour later, she let out a breath as yet another contraction ended, then sagged against Roman. "This is so much harder that I expected," she managed a small smile.

"Yeah, but you've got one of the highest pain thresholds I've ever seen," Seth complimented. "You got this." No sooner had he finished his statement than her urge to push returned.

"It's not high enough," she grunted the words as the pain threatened to drown her.

"You can't fight the pain, Alexandra and you're making it harder by trying. Embrace it, sweetheart," Roman whispered, using his Dom voice she hadn't heard in months. "Accept it. Let it flow through you, then take control." Something in her mind shifted, opened and she stopped fighting. She could do this. The thought barely had time to take root before the pain changed, intensified, blooming bright and fast as a new an intense burning sensation began and her thought of control exploded on a scream Dear God she'd never felt pain like this before.

"Oh my God, Lexi, I can see the baby's hair," Amber nearly squealed the words.

Seth's eyes widened and his mouth opened, but for the first time since Lexi had known Seth, he appeared speechless.

The contraction passed, but the burning and pain remained. It felt as if she was being split in two. "It hurts," Lexi gasped as she dug her fingers into Roman's arms. "Oh God, it hurts." Never in all her years of wrestling had she ever experience anything so intense or painful.

"I know baby," Roman pressed his lips against her hair. "I know, but you're almost there."

"I don't think I can do this," she whimpered as for the first time she began to doubt her own abilities. This was so much harder and taxing than she'd expected. She was exhausted and in sheer agony.

"You _can_ do this," Roman encourage. "You're the toughest person I know."

"I'm only tough because of you," she groaned as her body tightened again, the need to push overwhelming. "Roman I need you. Please, I need you so much. I need your strength."

"I'm here sweetheart," he assured. "I'm not going anywhere and you have it. You have my strength."

"And mine," Seth took her leg, holding it for her.

"And mine," Amber took Lexi's other leg.

"You even have mine," Dean said as he knelt next to the side of the bed and placed a hand over Lexi's.

The sudden and overwhelming feeling of love and support mixed with a fresh shot of adrenaline and poured through her. Maybe with them behind her she could do it. Doing her best to ignore the pain Lexi pushed again.

"That's it." Seth's eyes widened. "That's it, Lexi. You're doing it."

"Come on, sweetheart," Roman soothed against her ear. "You're almost there. It's almost over."

"That's good, Lexi," Doctor Amman offered. "Easy. Take it slow and easy. I don't want you tearing."

Her body felt as if someone had set it on fire and her limbs began to tremble. Could they possibly understand how frightened she was at that very moment?

"Almost there," Doctor Amman coached. "The head is almost out."

The sudden pressure ended and she watched through the pain induced haze as Seth nearly jumped up and down in excitement. "The head is out. Wow!" He put a hand over his mouth, glanced up and exchanged excited looks with Amber.

"Our baby is almost here," Roman's deep voice rumbled against Lexi's ear. "It's almost over, sweetheart. You're doing so great. I'm so proud of you. Now just one more push."

She was so tired now. Her limbs felt heavy and cold. "I can't," she whispered. "I can't."

"You can," Roman argued. "You have to, Alexandra. Nobody can do this for you. Come on now. One more push."

The urge returned and with everything she had left, Lexi bared down. On one last final painful scream a new life slid into the world.

"She's out," Doctor Amman announced even as Lexi sagged against Roman in relief.

"She?" Roman asked as he peered over Lexi's head that now rested against his shoulder. Giddy but more exhausted than she'd ever been in her life Lexi stared dreamily down at where Doctor Amman used the little blue bulb to suction out her daughter's nose and mouth. After a few seconds her little one let loose a cry that filled the room and a cheer went up from the common area.

Seth grinned at Lexi. "She's definitely got Roman's lungs."

Doctor Amman then lifted the new born and placed her on Lexi's chest, covered her with a blanket." She forced herself to lift her arms and hold the squirming newborn even as tears slid down her cheeks.

"My baby," she whispered on a sob "My baby." She couldn't think, couldn't quite believe her dream had finally came true. "Hello, precious." She stared down into the owl eyed gaze of her daughter. Overwhelmed, she turned to look at Roman and received another shock. Her rock, her protector, the man who split people in half on a nightly basis, the Shield's big, bad enforcer was actually crying. Tears trickled down his faced as he reached around and grazed hand over the infant with an almost reverent touch.

His awed gaze drifted from the infant to her and as slow smile slid across his face. "Thank you," he whispered, then leaned into her and pressed a soft kiss to Lexi's lips. "Thank you for our daughter."


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

With one last look at his sleeping wife and daughter, Roman pulled the bedroom door nearly all the way closed, leaving it open just enough he could hear if either of stirred. Then turned and walked over to where Seth sat sprawled out on the couch. "Lexi sleeping?" Seth asked.

Roman nodded then sank onto the couch opposite Seth. He took a moment to listen to the howling wind and for the first time in several hours was reminded that they were indeed stuck in the middle of a hurricane. Once they were in the moment he'd all but forgotten about the storm. "She finished nursing Alea and now they're both sleeping."

Tired, he slid a hand through his hair. "Since it's gonna be awhile before the storm ends and we can get her to the hospital to be checked out, Doctor Amman is going to come back in about an hour."

"He still worried about her bleeding?" Dean handed him a bottle of beer before plopping down in the spare chair.

Roman wrapped his fingers around the glass and nodded. "Yeah. He's assured me that she's not hemorrhaging, but she has lost more blood than he'd like. He's concerned that maybe some of scar tissue in her uterus is causing problems."

"You know she'll be fine, right?" Seth asked. "Lexi is the toughest chick I know. I'm confident she'll be fine."

"Yeah." Roman replied as he closed his eyes and immediately pictured her face so full of fear and pain. He'd never seen her like that before and it bothered him. "It doesn't change the fact that I'm still worried."

"What did Doctor Amman say about Alea?" Dean asked.

Roman smiled now as he thought about his baby girl. What a beautiful little wiggling bundle of joy she was. "She's perfect," he nearly snorted the words. He was still amazed that after all their fears and everything they'd gone through she was here and healthy. "Other than being a couple of weeks early and a little small, she appears to be in perfect health."

"That's fantastic," Dean replied. "Considering how hard you both fought to get her here healthy."

"Yeah." Roman took a long pull from the bottle, set it on the table, then leaned back and scrubbed a hand over his face. "I think I'm still in shock."

"Me too," Seth murmured even as he grinned yet again. "I don't think I told you this yet, but thank you."

Roman felt his brow knit. "For what?"

"For allowing me to be a part of your experience. I mean I've seen a lot of cool and wild things in my life, but this…" He shook his head. "I've never seen something so..." he sighed. "I don't think a word exists that can accurately express what I'm thinking. I mean as gory as all the blood was and as disturbing as it was to see Lexi in so much pain, it was just incredible to watch your little one appear." He toyed with the label of the beer bottle. "Not only was it just amazing to see her emerge out of Lexi's body like that, watching her take her first breath….jeeze." He shook his head. It really was a miracle."

Dean nodded. "Yeah, I have to admit, that was pretty damn cool and humbling." He grinned. "Even I felt like crying when I saw that beautiful little girl of yours."

The heat of embarrassment quickly rolled through Roman, then passed nearly as fast as his thoughts turned back to Lexi. "I'm not too proud to admit that seeing Lexi suffer like that really shook me. I swear I think her screams are going to haunt me in my dreams."

He leaned back against the couched and let his head rest against the top as he closed his eyes. He could see her now, the pain etched into her face, her brow knit with concentration as she pushed their daughter into the world. He could hear her scream, the sheer agony of it that filled the room and echoed off the walls and he forced himself to suppress a shudder as he spoke again. "I mean, I knew it wasn't going to be easy for her, but what I expected to happen and what really happened was so different."

Feeling restless and out of sorts, he shifted again, leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees as he ordered his mind to banish the haunting memories. He was emotionally exhausted and feeling completely inept as a husband. The last thing he needed was his mind tormenting him with those images. "I felt so damn helpless, especially when she was asking me for my strength. I couldn't do anything for her."

"That's where you're wrong," Dean corrected and Roman looked over at him, curious. "You were there, Rome. You held her and encouraged her and showed her how much you love her. You gave her exactly what she needed."

Roman shook head. "I couldn't take away her pain. I couldn't do anything tangible to make it easier for her. All I gave her was words and she gave me…" he paused as he drew in a long, deep cleansing breath. "She gave me my baby girl. She gave me Alea Faith and that hardly seems fair."

Seth leaned forward to mimicked Roman's position. "You know what I think?"

"What?"

"I think that she might have done all the hard work in getting your little one here, but now that she is here, it's your job to give her what she needs and keep her safe. Lexi can't do that on her own. She needs you and that's where you're going to prove just how much you love her and show her just how thankful you really are."

Lexi was dreaming of the biting pain swirling through her body as she surfaced from sleep. She shifted, then winced at the confirmation that the pain was indeed real. Her gaze landed on the ceiling and for a brief moment confusion claimed her thoughts, then slowly the memories began. There'd been a storm and she'd given birth to her baby girl.

Beneath the covers she slid a hand down to find the remnants her baby bump. She turned her head and her heart swelled at the sight before her. Across the room, Roman sat in the chair with Alea in his arms, the expression on his face one of pure love and awe as he stared down at their baby girl.

She wished she had her cell phone handy so she could capture the moment in a picture, but there wasn't any way she was going to make unnecessary movements right now. It would forever remain as her private moment in time. An image tucked away in the vaults of her mind.

Her abdomen ached with tiny little cramps and farther below felt warm and swollen. She was sure if she tried to move she'd be treated to some new and creative form of pain. Still, none of it really mattered. Once the bone aching exhaustion passed she could handle the rest. "Hey, daddy," she whispered and realized just how dry her mouth felt.

Roman's attention cut from their newborn to Lexi and his eyes widened. "Hey, how you feeling?"

"Sore." She lifted a hand to her head and swiped the hair from her face. "Exhausted. Thirsty."

He shifted Alea, then pushed up from the chair and crossed to her. With one hand he poured water from a pitcher and handed her the glass.

"Thank you," she whispered, then took a long drink. "How is she doing?"

Roman grinned. "Great. I'm still trying to make my mind believe that she's actually here. I mean I know I'm holding her and everything, but it feels like a dream." His smile faltered just a little as he looked down at her. "You're still really pale. Are you sure you're okay? You lost more blood than Doctor Amman is happy with."

She nodded. "That probably explains part of why I feel so lethargic and exhausted, but yeah, I'm just sore. How long have I been sleeping?"

"Four hours," Roman replied as he eased onto the bed next to her. "Doctor Amman came in to check on you and it scared the hell out of me when you didn't do more than let out a small moan when he touched you. I was worried that the extra blood loss was taking a toll." He turned his attention from her to the window. "Doc said the storm is letting up and we should be able to get you to the hospital soon, but I already feel a little better now that you're awake and coherent."

"Four hours?" Lexi eyed the infant as all thoughts of her own discomfort vanished. "She's probably hungry again."

Roman nodded. "She has been a bit fussy."

"Here," Using what little strength she'd recouped from sleeping, Lexi pushed herself into a more upright position and she let a small hiss escape as she bit back the pain from moving. "Let me nurse her."

Roman eyed her with concern, but handed the baby over. His gaze followed Lexi's as she helped Alea latch and within seconds the infant began to suck greedily. "I know I already said this, but I still can't quite believe she's finally here." Roman stroked a hand along the back of the newborn's head.

"I know," Lexi grinned, then looked up at Roman, lifted her free hand to his cheek. "Thank you."

His brow knit as he stared blankly at her. "For what?"

"For not giving up on me. For showing me that I could have the life I always wanted. For being there for me and loving me."

She watched, her heart filling with love, as the knit in his brow smoothed over. "I'll always love you, Alexandra."

* * *

_Other than the epilogue, which I will be posting later today (as soon as I finishing editing it.) this is the end of Lexi and Roman's story. I want to thank everyone who has followed and favorited and commented along the way. I know it went up fast and I generally don't write this fast, but this story hit me fast and hard and demanded I write it as quickly as possible. I hope you've all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Now that it's done, I will have to step away again and take care of some real world obligations. To those who have asked about Reluctant Desire, I will be reposting it soon and at some point I will be back with more stories. _

_Thank you again!_

_Sienna_


	31. Chapter 31

Epilogue

Lexi tucked Alea into her crib, turned, and spotted a shirtless Roman standing in the doorway. She lifted a finger to her lips, then tiptoed out of the bedroom.

"She sleeping?" Roman asked as he caught her by the waist.

"Yeah." She leaned into him and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "Which means we have about four hours before she wakes up again."

A slow grin claimed his lips. "I'm pretty sure that will be enough time." He tucked her hair behind her ear as his smile slipped into something slightly more serious. "Are you sure you're ready?"

Lexi let out an exasperated sigh. _Why was he so hesitant?_ "We've been over this. The doctor says I'm completely healed." She frowned. "I'm starting to get the feeling you don't want to do this."

"That's not it," Roman argued as he released her and took a step back.

"Then what? What is it, Roman?" I told you when I came back from my six week checkup that we had the green light. Yet here we are; two weeks later and still no nookie for Lexi." She folded her arms, turned and walked to the end of the hall to look out the window.

Ever since Alea's birth, she'd noticed a change in him. Yes, he was more attentive and definitely more protective, but there was something else. It was as if his passion had all but disappeared. Oh sure he'd cuddle with her in bed, but whenever she pressed him for more he pulled back. At first she assumed it was because he was trying to follow her doctor's orders of no sex for six weeks. But now she wasn't so sure.

She'd seen her stretch marks in the mirror, had traced over each one in the shower and knew she still had a slight belly from the excess baby weight she'd yet to lose. Being pregnant had definitely caused changes to her body that weren't necessarily for the better. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Tell me the truth, Roman. Do you no longer find me attractive?"

"What?" his voice nearly boomed from behind her. "How can you ask that? Of course I still find you attractive."

She felt him move in behind her, his arms slid around her waist, his hands settling over her belly. "Then what is it, Roman? Are you not in love with me anymore?"

He pressed a soft kiss to the nape of her neck. "I love you more now than I ever have."

Frustration bubbled just beneath the surface. This was getting her nowhere. "Then why don't you want to make love to me?"

The heaviness of his sigh had her pulling away so she could see his face. What exactly was going through that mind of his? "I want to," he finally said and broke contact yet again.

"But?" She folded her arms in challenge.

He shook his head and turned away. "I feel like such a wuss."

"Why?"

"Because I'm afraid to touch you." he said.

She froze and arched a brow. Well that certainly hadn't been what she expected him to say. "Excuse me?"

He cocked his head to the side and looked toward the ceiling as he rubbed a hand over his face. "Jesus, Lexi don't make me say it again."

"You're afraid to touch me?" she repeated, since he wouldn't. "Why?"

His attention drifted to Alea's closed door and suddenly she understood. "You're still having a hard time dealing with seeing me give birth?"

Now he scrubbed both hands over his face as he shook his head. "It's not the seeing you give birth part," Roman corrected. "It's the seeing you in so much pain part I'm struggling with. Knowing I caused it and I couldn't do anything to make it better. I don't want to do that to you again."

"_You_ caused, it?" Lexi smirked. "You act as if I had nothing to do with conceiving Alea." She closed the distance between them, then lifted a hand to cradle his cheek. "Oh, you're good, but you ain't that good, because the last time I checked it took two to make a baby. Which means I'm just as responsible for my pain as you are."

"But-" She pressed a finger against his lips silencing his protest.

"Just stop." She grinned and shook her head. "I love you, you big idiot." Then she replaced her finger with her lips in a kiss so soft it was barely a whisper. "I'm sorry you're struggling to come to terms with this, but let's get one thing straight. There were times when I wanted her more than I wanted my next breath. You know that."

He gave a slight nod.

"And yes, I was in a lot of pain, but I'll tell you right now that I'd do it all over again if I had to. Hell, I'm hoping that in a few years I can do it all over again. Does that make me crazy? Probably." She laughed then let her smile fade as she stepped into his embrace. "But when it does happen. If it does happen, you need to know that I'll go into it with my eyes completely open and ready to take on the pain. It will be my decision to do so, right?"

"Right."

She kissed him again, then slid her hand lower and cupped him. "Until then, I think it's about time I'm rewarded for all of the selfless sacrificing I did."

"Selfless sacrificing?" Roman arched a brow even as his hand came around to cradle her ass.

"Damn right," she agreed as her fingers toyed with the stretch band of his sweatpants. "I put aside my own comfort and suffered through agony to bring our daughter into the world. Wouldn't you agree that I deserve a reward for such a magnanimous gesture?"

"You know," Roman began to nibble along her jawline. "Most women would be happy with jewelry as a reward."

"I'm not most women," she replied and wrapped her fingers around his hardening length. "I don't need jewelry or fancy things." She gave him one long stroke and was please when his entire body shuddered in response. "I just need you."

"You have me," he replied as he slid his hand beneath her nightshirt and cupped her breast. "You've always had me." He leaned forward and captured her lips for a passionate kiss. "And you always will."

* * *

Thank you again to everyone who followed, favorited and commented. Your feedback means the world to me.

Merry Christmas!

Sienna


	32. Chapter 32

_So I was thinking about this story over Christmas and couldn't quite shake the nagging feeling that maybe I had cheated you all by not showing Lexi and Roman reciting their vows when they got married. So I'm providing them here as a reference. This is what Lexi and Roman said to each other on that special day._

* * *

_**Roman's Vows**_

I knew it from the first time we met, from the moment I looked into those wary, seductive eyes, so filled with regret and pain, that I was hopelessly hooked. Numerous people warned me to stay away. They said you were irrevocably damaged and to just move on, but their warnings only made me more determined. There was something about you that pulled at me; something I couldn't ignore. All I could think about was how I could prove to you that what I felt was real. How my intentions were good in that all I wanted to do was erase your pain and love you.

I realized early that trust wasn't something which came easy to you, yet I remained determined and as the days grew into weeks and weeks grew into months, I began to see the change. The wariness so prominent in your eyes when we first met was slowly replaced with affection, the pain with joy and love.

Not long ago you called me your Superman. That's not a title I take lightly and as I stand here today, before our friends and family, I pledge to you not only my unending love and protection, but my very heart and soul. I love you Alexandra and I will do everything within my power to forever and always be your Superman.

* * *

_**Lexi's Vows**_

Love wasn't something that came easy for me. I'd long since stopped believing in adage of love at first sight. I'd stopped believing in love at all. Then you came along and turned my world upside down. You can't begin to imagine the shock I felt the first time we met. The instant and intense chemistry between us left me feeling confused and out of control.

Despite every effort I made to erect a wall between us and ignore that connection, still you somehow managed to breach my defenses. Your patience and understand made me feel as if I could trust you in a time of my life when the word trust had vanished from my vocabulary.

No matter what obstacle I faced, no matter how painful or frightening it might have been, you never let me hide from it, but you also never made me face it alone. You stood by me, supported me, and many times gave me your love and strength when I had none. You've become my voice of reason, my pillar of strength, my never ending source of understanding and love. As I stand here today, before our friends and family and pledge my never ending love to you, I want you to know, Joseph, that you are now will for ever be my Superman.


End file.
